February 11, 2020
BRYN MAWR, PA: The nationally recognized CITRS/CHARACTER COUNTS! Comprehensive Character Development Initiative in the Buffalo Public School District’s 22 schools has triggered program expansion in the Western New York Region. CITRS is honored to have been selected by Erie 1 BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) as a service provider to its 19 school districts as part of a new Community School Resources Co-Ser. The contract is not limited to only Erie 1 school districts, but is applicable to other Western New York (WNY) school districts through cross contracts.
Erie 1 BOCES’ Assistant Superintendent of Educational Supports and WNYRIC Services, Elizabeth M. Freas, stated, “The goal of the Community Schools Co-Ser is to provide for students’ social, emotional, physical and intellectual needs and partner with districts and community organizations to remove barriers to learning and support the whole child. Erie 1 BOCES is proud to partner with CITRS to provide evidence-based character education programming that aligns with districts’ needs and NYSED initiatives to better support social emotional learning in all classrooms.”
The first expansion project kicked off last month at Maple Avenue School. Mark Laurrie, Niagara Falls City School District’s Superintendent of Schools, commented, “Becoming part of the Character Counts network is a natural progression of our ongoing efforts to address the Social and Emotional needs and Learning Targets of our students at Maple Avenue School."
CITRS is pleased to be expanding the nationally recognized CITRS/CC! model initiative in the WNY region and beyond, as upcoming information sessions are being held on the east coast later this month.
About Us: CITRS is a nonprofit that stands for Character, Integrity, Trust, Relationships and Success. Its mission is to empower people to achieve success by building a strong foundation of character. CITRS works with educators, organizations and school districts to develop character-centered environments, in which students thrive ethically, socially, and academically. It is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, PA and co-founded by Clay Hamlin and Gene Miller.