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June 30, 2020 Buffalo, NY: CITRS released a comprehensive report by an external evaluator today regarding the first two years of a pilot character development initiative they completed in 22 of the 58 Buffalo Public Schools (BPS). This project gives teachers, staff, and administrators the tools to incorporate character development into the entire school day. The outcomes showed impressive results in academics in the schools where the program was utilized as compared to non-participating BPS schools. Most notably, external evaluator Multi-Dimensional Education Inc (www.MDedInc.com) discovered that BPS schools participating in the CITRS/Character Counts! Initiative, compared to non-participating BPS schools (control group), experienced statistically significant improvements in reading proficiency (i.e. English Language Arts (ELA) tests scores). In addition, teachers, parents, and students felt the initiative was effective and were highly committed and supportive of the initiative. Also, the parents felt that students’ behaviors were positively impacted, and students felt the initiative helps them be a good person. “We are so pleased with the results of the independent auditor,” said Suzanne Bracci, CITRS Western New York Regional Director. “We knew from the enthusiastic adoption by the school community that the program was effective, but now we have a side-by-side comparison that shows some solid evidence of the positive impact character development has had on the students.” Support of the initiative at schools is high with surveys finding that 97% of staff support the initiative. “The Character Counts Program has a high buy-in from the teaching staff because it provides an umbrella of expectations for people to be their best,” said Jeffrey Banks, Principal at the Lorraine Academy, Buffalo Public School #72. “The six pillars are the gateway to allowing all staff, students and parents to put forth their best and respect differences, learn how to problem solve, resolve conflicts with dignity and persevere through challenging times.” In regard to the impact on reading proficiency, the independent evaluator, MDed Inc stated in their report, “This finding is significant as most interventions do not produce statistical evidence of academic change until years 3 and 4 of programing. While other impacts can be seen within a school immediately following initiative implementation, such an academic impact after only two years is unexpectedly notable and publishable.” As MDed Inc also shared in their report, “Improved ELA proficiency (i.e. which some consider being an indicator or gauge of reading comprehension) is a major predictor of other academic outcomes and the secret to improving test scores across the board. In other words, if a student can improve the level with which they read and comprehend, it makes common sense they also would be able to perform better on lengthy worded math, science and history questions.” Schools concur. “Our ELA scores have gone up as a result of creating a school climate and culture that is predictable and centered on growing people. A happy calmness is the result when students’ emotional and educational needs are being met. Our teachers support this program because they see it work with our students and parents. Our focus is not on the conflict, but on the growth of students. Our students have a clear understanding of the academic and behavioral expectations,” Banks added. “We are very fortunate to have this program in our school. It has been a driving force in getting our students and staff to believe in themselves and each other.” Since January 2017, the CITRS/CC! initiative has been serving 14,000 PreK-12 grade students in 22 Buffalo Public Schools, their families, and the community. The initiative is creating a lasting positive school climate of safety, caring, respect and good citizenship. CITRS provides administrators, teachers, schools, and districts with the most effective tools and approaches they need to successfully integrate comprehensive character development into school environments, including during the COVID epidemic. CITRS utilizes a proactive approach to Social-Emotional Learning and character development through resource materials, lesson plans, coaching and professional development to empower teachers with the tools to promote student self-management, self-care and resiliency, academic improvement and workplace readiness, and to build positive and productive relationships. 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.

October 3rd 2016 Gladwyne, PA CITRS held its Annual Character Golf Outing & Dinner to help raise awareness for the Character Education movement throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, while raising necessary funds to both sustain and grow multiple regional and national character initiatives. CITRS presented the Pennsylvania Character Consortium’s 2016 Character Achievement Award to the Villanova University’s Athletic Department. Villanova’s Athletic Department was recognized for their outstanding work in developing the moral and performance character of its coaches, administrator and student-athletes, while holding itself to the highest standards of organizational integrity, excellence, service, sportsmanship and teamwork. It was both a wonderful day of golf and an informational, celebratory evening. We are grateful to our sponsors and donors in making the event a great success as well as continuing the CITRS mission. 100% of the donations raised will be used to develop and implement character development programs to benefit underprivileged youth in schools and after-school programs. If you would like to lend your support, but have not had the chance, please visit citrs.org/donate. We thank all our supporters, including our sponsors, for their generosity in making this event a great success.

August 10, 2016 Queens New York, CITRS lead consultants Jeanne Craft and Brendan Petersen facilitated a workshop with New York Junior Tennis and Learning’s (www.nyjtl.org) top management team to kick off their character certification initiative as the first OST program to be considered for this prestigious national award. Senior Director of Education and Program Directors were engaged as they contributed to identifying and discussing key character development initiatives within their organization. Character.org, a nonprofit organization that serves as the world’s leading spokesman for character education and development for young people, (www.character.org) recently announced this new initiative to accredit out of school time (OST) organizations. Emanating from the National Schools of Character accreditation process and Character.org’s 11 Principles of Effective Character Education (developed over 15 years by a blue ribbon panel of experts in character development), CITRS consulted with Character.org in the development of this certification program that will focus solely on OST organizations. Click here to learn more about OST organizations and how they offer ideal opportunities for character development and education.

Ongoing Initiative – CITRS has taken the lead in setting up the Character Consortium of Pennsylvania. Similar to the national work of Character.org in Washington, DC, the PA Consortium is comprised of leading educators and advocates for Character Education here in the Commonwealth. The Character Consortium is working hard to ensure that Pennsylvania is a national leader when it comes to comprehensive Social, Emotional, Character Development Standards and finding innovative ways to embed a culture and climate of character within K-12 schools.

Great things are happening at the Independence Mission Schools in Philadelphia and character education is one of them! CITRS has been working with 15 schools to weave Character Counts! into their programs and activities. During Catholic Schools week in February 2016, a formal launch of the program was held and each school shared their own unique way of demonstrating how they embrace and teach character to create a positive school culture and climate. The events that took place were dynamic and impactful and included many constituents, such as administration, teachers, students, parents and community.

September 11, 2018 Gladwyne, PA: Close to 200 guests, sponsors, and donors attended the 2018 CITRS OPEN dinner on Tuesday, September 11 at the Philadelphia Country Club. The evening kicked off with cocktails and students from St. Cyril of Alexandria welcoming guests as they took their seats in the main ballroom for dinner. After a surprise flash mob from the students, Melissa Nunez, COO of CITRS, provided an update on CITRS’ work over the last year and the exciting new opportunities for growth and impact in this upcoming year. The guests congratulated Principal Sister Montague and St. Cyril of Alexandria for their impressive achievement in being recognized as a State School of Character by Character.org. Doug Karr, President and CEO of Character.org, was presented the Pennsylvania Character Consortium’s Character Achievement Award for his visionary guidance in realizing Character.org’s mission to provide leadership and advocacy for character worldwide. Both Karr and Clay Hamlin, Co-Founder and CEO of CITRS, discussed where they see the character industry going and opportunities to impact the lives of millions of children nationally and internationally. Due to weather conditions, golf was delayed until Wednesday, September 19th. The charity golf ball drop, where nearly 500 balls will be dropped from a helicopter, will launch the golf day with a bang.

October 15, 2016 Washington D.C. Character.org Board Member, Clay Hamlin, moderated a panel on Character and the Emerging Catholic School Renaissance: Why Secular Character Development Frameworks are Essential in Faith Based Education at the annual Character.org forum. The panel highlighted the groundbreaking development in U.S. education reform, where failing urban Catholic K-12 schools are partnering with entrepreneurs and donors. They are introducing new innovative models to educate inner-city children as a much less expensive alternative to dysfunctional failing government-run schools. The panel of leading Catholic school educators, character development experts and philanthropists discussed these developments and how efficient, effective character development programs are augmenting Catholic school’s faith inspired education for exceptional results and creating a culture of character and virtue. More information on the panelists: Duncan McCrann, Founder and CEO of the Catholic School Renaissance Institute, is the CEO of Educational Enterprises, Inc., the operator of the EAGLE College Prep Schools and the HOPE Christian Schools. He is the former President and COO of KIPP Houston and the former Headmaster of the Hyde School in Woodstock, CT. He is a graduate of Harvard College and a founding contributor of the School for Real Estate at MIT. Gary Smit is a former superintendent and now Lead Trainer and the Dean of Faculty for Character Counts. He develops curriculum, conducts workshops, teacher and coach in-service programs and keynote addresses for educators across the United States. In addition, Smit has been directly involved with international character development initiatives in Singapore, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Ecuador, Nigeria, Brazil and Colombia. Gary is the author of the book, Instilling Touchstones of Character. William (Bill) Cascarina is the Principal at Saint Frances Cabrini Regional Catholic School, part of the Independence Mission School Organization. He is a former Middle School and High School Dean of Students, 4th grade math teacher and football and basketball coach.

March 16, 2022 BRYN MAWR, PA: CITRS is delighted to see the community support that is backing the ongoing efforts of the CITRS/CHARACTER COUNTS! Comprehensive Character Development Initiative. This initiative has been underway in 20 Buffalo Public School District schools since January of 2017. While the schools are in the midst of the sixth academic year of the initiative, the community is stepping in to ensure the ongoing maintenance efforts this year by sponsoring the initiative at individual schools. CITRS is thrilled to announce that 11 of the 20 schools’ initiatives have already been supported this year by the following generous community supporters: Rich Products (3 schools), Hodgson Russ LLP (2 schools), Five Star Bank, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Mr. & Mrs. Warren B. Gelman & Family, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Kreiner, and our humble, supportive, and anonymous friends. “Being a native Buffalonian, I am delighted to see the community support around the ongoing character focus of these schools. The impact of this initiative has not only been profound in the culture and climate of the schools, but also in student’s academic performance. In accordance with an external evaluator’s findings, within the first 2 years, there were significant improvements in reading proficiency (ELA) that were not seen in the control group,” stated Clay Hamlin, Chief Executive Officer of CITRS. To learn more about the CITRS/CHARACTER COUNTS! Comprehensive Character Development Initiative and how to support this initiative at a school this year, contact Melissa Frawley, CITRS Mentor Coach of Western New York, at mfrawley@citrs.org. ### About CITRS, Inc: CITRS is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian, character development and education consulting company. Our founders launched CITRS in 2010 as a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that brought character initiatives to schools, sports programs, youth organizations, and afterschool programs. Today, CITRS' approach has evolved to further include a special focus on the adults who are serving young people. We provide consultation, support, and guidance to the teams and staff members of schools and organizations. For more information, please visit citrs.org.

Ongoing Initiative – CITRS and Character Counts have partnered to help the University of Pennsylvania’s Athletic Department take an in-depth look at its mission and overall approach to Character Development. Working closely with Penn Athletics, CITRS/CC designed and implemented a comprehensive survey that identified many character-related strengths within the Department as well as opportunities for strategic growth – all with an eye on helping Penn Athletics be an outstanding example of character at the university and intercollegiate level.

St. Cyril of Alexandria, an Independence Mission School and CITRS client, was named a State School of Character by Character.org. The certification is reserved for state schools and school districts that have excelled in their focus on character development, positively impacting academic performance, student behavior, and overall school culture and climate. St. Cyril was one of 65 schools in the U.S. to receive this prestigious distinction and the only school in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be recognized. St. Cyril has been a part of the CITRS/CHARACTER COUNTS! character development initiative in IMS for nearly three years and has excelled in every aspect of integrating character development into daily routines, teaching moments, and curriculum. The dedication of the administration, teachers, and staff can be seen spreading through the entire school community, showing students the value of character development in every aspect of one’s life. CITRS’s Chief Academic Officer Brendan Petersen, who has worked closely with the IMS initiative over the past few years, notes the progress St. Cyril has made saying, “I can honestly attest to the way they’ve embraced a comprehensive approach to character development. Not only have they integrated the language of the Six Pillars within their academic curriculum, they’ve used the initiative to connect with the school’s faith life. It was a schoolwide effort and they are well deserving of the [State] School of Character honor. Congratulations to all the administrators, teachers, staff, students, and parents of St. Cyril on this notable accomplishment! St. Cyril serves as a remarkable example of just how important incorporating character education is to students’ development. Character.org is a national advocate and leader for character in communities, including schools, districts, families, workplaces and sports organizations. Since Character.org’s School of Character program’s inception, they have impacted nearly 1,000,000 students through the Schools of Character process. To learn more about Character.org’s State Schools of Character program, visit: http://character.org/schools-of-character/state-schools-of-character-overview/

Philadelphia, PA: Over 150 guests, teachers, and students came out to support the CITRS 2017 Annual Golf Outing & Dinner on Monday, September 11 at the Philadelphia Country Club. The day began with lunch on the pavilion. After CEO Clay Hamlin’s introductory speech and a moment of silence in remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001, golfers enjoyed a gorgeous day on the course with a 1:00p.m. shotgun start. Cocktails were served on the pavilion at 5:30p.m. and students from St. Cyril of Alexandria welcomed guests as they took their seats in the main ballroom for dinner. Before dinner commenced, guests were treated to students reciting the Character Counts! pledge. After learning about CITRS and the work currently being done in the character industry, Clay Hamlin honored Heather Templeton Dill, President of the John Templeton Foundation, by presenting the Pennsylvania Character Consortium’s 2017 Character Achievement Award to the Foundation for the many successes they’ve had in Character Virtue Development research. Heather and Clay both discussed where they see the character industry going and guests were treated to a brief video that demonstrated the new CharacterDaily app that CITRS co-lead in developing. CITRS would like to thank everyone in attendance for making the event a success, Heather Templeton Dill for her continued dedication to the industry, and the students and teachers of St. Cyril for their participation.

May 1, 2019 Legacy Youth Tennis and Education is a CITRS client and a Philadelphia non-profit dedicated to preparing youth for success in an inclusive community through tennis, education and character development programming. Legacy honored Mr. Hamlin for his lifelong dedication to the Philadelphia community and his dynamic work developing character in our nation’s youth. During the program, Mr. Hamlin commended Legacy for their dedication and investment in character development with urban youth. Also, Mr. Hamlin briefly introduced guests to CITRS and its mission of comprehensive character development. CITRS partners with school districts and youth organizations to develop character-centered environments where students thrive ethically, socially and academically and provides resources and tools to educators and organizations to help urban youth be successful in life. CITRS supports Legacy’s continued focus on character development and expects Legacy to become recognized as a National Sports Organization of Character by Character.org in the future. Mr. Hamlin stated, “CITRS is proud to partner with Legacy on a shared vision for our youth and bring this national recognition to Legacy.” To learn more about these organizations, visit www.legacyyte.org or www.citrs.org.