All in Good Order — Some people are naturally more organized than others, but anyone can learn organizational skills. Becoming and staying organized can help students perform better at school while reducing stress. This is a great opportunity for students to think about the benefits of becoming and staying organized as they begin the new school year.
Key Ideas: Benefits of staying organized - Organizational skills - Reducing stress
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility

At the Core — Roy Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, once said that "It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." Students explore the notion that deciding which core values will guide them through life is one of the most important decisions they will ever make.
Key Ideas: Making choices is easier when you know what your values are - Determining one's core ethical values
Character Traits: Integrity - Respect - Responsibility

Bouncing Back from Adversity — Students examine the reasons for burn out and/or depression, and explore coping skills.
Key Ideas: Managing change - Stress - Depression - Asking for help
Character Traits: Perseverance - Positive Attitude - Resiliency

Choices: You're Not the Boss of Me! — One of the hardest things about being a teenager is having to bite your tongue when you want to say, "Hey, you're not the boss of me!" But the truth is, until you learn how to "boss yourself," somebody has to do the job or you might be making some truly unwise decisions.
Key Ideas: Choices - Authority - Freedom
Character Traits: Responsibility - Self-management

Did You Do That On Purpose? * — Life can be so random at times. It can be confusing and challenging. For life to make sense, it has to have meaning. It has to have purpose, and having purpose in our lives is something we choose because when we do anything on purpose, we do it deliberately. Students explore the importance of choosing a worthy purpose in their lives.
Key Ideas: Deliberately choosing positive actions - Goal setting - Self-absorption
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for National Be On Purpose Month: January.

Directing Your Own Life — Every time students act responsibly, they earn more trust. With that trust usually comes more freedom to choose. Being trustworthy can mean making some tough short-term choices, but long-term, it can mean having greater control over one's future. Students explore the idea that the benefits of making responsible decisions far outweigh the costs.
Key Ideas: Taking responsibility for one's choices and actions - Taking responsibility builds trust which can create more freedom in our lives.
Character Traits: Personal responsibility - Trustworthiness

Doing One's Best — Imagine a world where people simply did as they pleased all the time and felt no duty to excel at school, at work, or in their relationships. Abraham Lincoln once wrote that "a duty to strive is the duty of us all." Students consider the idea that we each have a responsibility to ourselves and to others to strive to do our very best.
Key Idea: Striving to do one's best
Character Traits: Responsibility - Human excellence
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for Lincoln's Birthday, Feb. 12.

Doing What's Right * — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. faced many difficult decisions in his life. With these materials, students have an opportunity to reflect on the fact that each of us faces many decisions each day. Some may be very difficult, but whatever the situation, we can learn from Dr. King's example by using these opportunities to do the right thing.
Key Ideas: Awareness of our daily choices - Doing the right thing
Character Traits: Moral courage - Integrity - Honesty
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for Black History Month and/or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Day.

Don't Be Late — For the most part, whether we ourselves are punctual or not, we expect others to be punctual. We expect movies to begin at showtime, and ambulances to arrive promptly. Students explore the notion that being tardy or late not only is discourteous but can have serious consequences for ourselves and others.
Key Ideas: Punctuality - Tardiness
Character Traits: Responsibility - Punctuality - Courtesy - Respect

Exploring Our Character * — Exploration is one of the oldest of all human activities. Since the beginning of time mankind has explored for land, water, food, and treasure. Today people explore outer space and the deep sea. The wisest and most successful human beings continually explore their character through inner reflection. Students will consider the notion that reflection builds character and fosters successful living.
Key Ideas: Self-examination - Reflection - Exploring our character - Successful living
Character Traits: Self-respect - Moral courage
Note: This broadcast message and lesson plan also work well for Columbus Day.

Finding Answers * — It takes vision, curiosity, perseverance, and a strong work ethic to be a successful explorer. This message and corresponding lesson plan allow students the opportunity to examine these traits which are common among explorers from Christopher Columbus to Neil Armstrong. Students are encouraged to put their wonder into action!
Key Ideas: Exploring new ideas - Persevering until one finds the answer
Character Traits: Curiosity - Perseverance - Strong work ethic
Note: This broadcast message and lesson plan also work well for Columbus Day.

Head, Heart, and Hands — To develop strong character, you need three things: your head so you can carefully consider what values to live by, your heart so you care enough to make those values part of who you are, and your hands so you put those values into action.
Key Ideas: Character is power - Choosing a strong character - Character in action
Character Trait: Self-Responsibility - Citizenship

Here Comes Tomorrow — Students are often tempted to put things off until tomorrow, but moving their responsibilities forward does not make them go away. In fact, it can make them seem bigger and more stressful. In this plan, students consider the negative consequences of procrastination and explore tools and strategies for staying on top of things.
Key Ideas: Procrastination - Tools for overcoming procrastination
Character Traits: Self-management - Responsibility

It's Magic! — Each time students are faced with a choice between doing what they know is right and doing what is wrong, they have the opportunity to choose a life of integrity and to enjoy the riches that come with such a life.
Key Ideas: Standing up for your beliefs - Speaking out against wrong - Creating real success
Character Traits: Integrity - Honesty - Courage

Just Ask * — Asking for help can be intimidating. This message and lesson plan remind students that school counselors are an important resource when they are facing a challenge, whether it is a scheduling issue, a problem at home, or a career choice. This content emphasizes the importance of talking to trusted adults, like school counselors, as a way of solving problems more effectively.
Key Ideas: Asking school counselors for help - Asking for help can be difficult
Character Traits: Responsibility - Respect - Confidence
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for National School Counseling Week.

Keeping Resolutions * — Students explore the notion that it's important to put our whole heart into whatever promises we make to ourselves. They explore the idea of being a more active participant in all aspects of their lives.
Key Idea: Making resolutions as a way to reach goals and dreams
Character Traits: Determination - Commitment - Caring
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for the New Year's holiday.

Look Who's Watching — We may get by with some poor choices when we think nobody's looking, but there's one very important person who is always watching - ourself, and our opinion of ourself matters. Students explore the importance of self-awareness, realizing that they are always watching their own behavior and the choices they make.
Key Ideas: Character is who you are when no one's looking - Right choices build self-esteem
Character Traits: Self-respect - Self-awareness - Integrity

Overcoming Obstacles * — No Olympic athlete has worked harder to get to the Olympics than those who compete in the Paralympics for disabled athletes. One such athlete is Ralph Green. Ralph has a story that will inspire both you and your students.
Key Ideas: Olympics - Turning obstacles into opportunities - Focusing on goals
Character Traits: : Respect - Responsibility - Perseverance - Dedication - Strong work ethic
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for the Olympics.

Reaching Your Potential * —Every single one of us has the potential for greatness, no matter what circumstances we were born into, no matter what types of challenges we face. Students have the opportunity to consider that greatness can manifest in many ways.
Key Ideas: Personal potential - Striving to be one's best - Overcoming sbstacles
Character Traits: Determination - Hard work - Encouragement
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for National Reaching Your Potential Month in January.

Rich Man - Poor Man — It's been said that the best things in life aren't things at all. Students explore the concept that money and possessions do not buy happiness and that success cannot be measured by the things we own.
Key Ideas: Quality of life - Materialism - Priorities - Successful living
Character Traits: Self-respect - Love - Kindness

Ripple Effects — Every choice we make ripples out and impacts our world in ways we may never understand. Students consider their own personal code of conduct and the ripple effects of making unethical decisions.
Key Ideas: Consequences of unethical behaviors - Personal code of conduct
Character Traits: Respect - Integrity
Note: This message and lesson plan work well for Ethics Awareness Month.

Rivers Run Through It — Like many things in nature, a river can teach us a great lesson. It triumphs every time. It just keeps going despite the challenges, obstacles, and barriers. There will always be barriers in life, stumbling blocks along the way. How we deal with those challenges can greatly determine our success or failure in life.
Key Ideas: Overcoming obstacles - Encouragement
Character Traits: Perseverance - Commitment - Determination

The Road Ahead — Every day we make choices, and every choice comes with a consequence. A wise person strives to make good decisions, decisions that will reap the best outcomes. A stubborn or unaware person will continually make unwise choices, and in the process, he or she will live a life less fortunate than that of the wiser one.
Key Ideas: Choices - Consequences
Character Traits: Responsibility - Self-discipline

Safe or Sorry — Every day, young people are injured unnecessarily. They break bones, injure eyes, become permanently disabled, or even lose their lives because some safety precaution wasn't taken. Students explore the benefits of taking safety precautions and the consequences to themselves and others when they don't observe safety rules.
Key Ideas: Staying safe during outdoor activities - Safety rules
Character Traits: Responsibility - Respect - Citizenship

Strength of Habit * — Aristotle once said "The habits we form from childhood make no small difference, but rather make all the difference." Students explore the idea that it is easier to form positive habits now than to break bad habits, and that our habits shape our character and our character determines the outcome of our lives.
Key Ideas: Creating good habits -Habits help form our character and determine our future
Character Traits: Self-respect - Self-responsibility - Citizenship
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for the beginning of the school year.

Underneath the Anger — Sometimes, getting angry is the right thing to do, like when we get angry at some terrible wrong that has been committed. But most of the time when we get angry, it's because we are hurt or afraid. Students examine some of the underlying emotions that can create anger, their responsibility for addressing those root causes, and ways to deal appropriately with those feelings.
Key Ideas: Dealing with anger - Underlying causes of anger
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility

What's It Worth? — Conducting yourself in a dignified manner is a way to respect yourself. You value who you are when you are proud of the things you do. Posting things on the Internet that are undignified is a reflection of who you are. There can be lasting negative effects that may damage your reputation or your sense of self-worth.
Key Ideas: Valuing yourself - Making dignified choices - Posting inappropriate images online
Character Trait: Self-worth - Self-respect - Dignity

What Were You Thinking? — Students consider how easy it is to go through life never stopping to consider our thoughts and feelings and how those thoughts and feelings impact the choices we make.
Key Ideas: Self-awareness - The power of thoughts - Positive thinking
Character Traits: Self-respect - Responsibility
Note: This message and lesson plan also work well for What You Think Upon Grows Day: May 31st.

The Words We Speak — Students stop to consider that the words we choose to speak are a reflection of who we are. Either words earn the respect of others, or they can cost us respect when others hear our bad language.
Key Ideas: Bad Language - Cursing - Abusive language
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility - Civility