Character Counts Program
Teaching Character
At District 112 we not only teach reading, writing and all things academic, we work hard to develop strong character traits that will make our good students good people. Character education is integrated into the curriculum through the district's participation in a community-wide campaign called CHARACTER COUNTS!
Why use the CHARACTER COUNTS! program?
CHARACTER COUNTS! is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian coalition of schools, communities and nonprofit organization that provides a common language to teach character. The program stresses a consistent set of ethical values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
District 112 integrates character education into new and existing programs and encourages young people and their parents to model the Six Pillars.
For more information about character-building education programs at District 112, call the superintendent's office: 847-681-6700.
For more information about the Character Counts! program, visit the official Web Site at:
www.charactercounts.org
Welcome to NSSD112 Service Learning
What is service-learning?
Service-learning is a teaching method that combines service to the community with classroom curriculum. It is more than merely community service. It is a hands-on approach to mastering subject material while fostering civic responsibility.
Service-learning provides a context for talking about learning in terms of not only what students know but also what they are able to do. Critical to this type of learning is building in time for students to reflect on their service experience. Reflection time helps students make the connection between classroom and community learning, and ensures they understand the extent to which they can impact positive change.
Service-learning builds stronger academic skills. First, students take an active role in determining how the projects are identified and accomplished, creating interest and excitement for learning. Second, service-learning accommodates many different learning styles.
By teaching students early about the role they can play in their community, service-learning also encourages lifelong civic participation. Furthermore, by relating academic activities to real-life experiences, service-learning improves workplace skills and enhances personal development among youth. Finally, service-learning gives students a sense of competency; they see themselves as active contributors to their community and learning experiences rather than passive recipients of adult decisions.