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June 18, 2021 BRYN MAWR, PA: CITRS is proud to announce that Buffalo Public School District’s Hamlin Park Academy (School #74) and Early Childhood Center (School #17) have received Promising Practice Awards from Character.org – a national advocate for character in schools, families, sports and the workplace, and headquartered in Washington, DC. The two schools are in elite company with only four other New York schools being recognized and less than 200 schools and organizations throughout the entire country. Promising Practices are unique, effective, and replicable initiatives that inspire “goodness in action” and contribute to the field of character development. Each Promising Practice aligns with one or more of the principles articulated in Character.org’s 11 Principles Framework. “We are extremely proud to recognize the schools and organizations that have developed and implemented a Promising Practice” said Dr. Arthur Schwartz, President of Character.org. “Each of these programs and initiatives have demonstrated significant impact and strongly align with the principles that help schools and organizations cultivate a culture of character.” School #74 and School #17 are recognized for the creative approaches they have put in place to help children understand, care about, and consistently practice the core values that will enable them to flourish in school, in relationships, in the workplace, and as citizens. As CITRS has worked with these two schools over the last four years, "it has been an honor working with BPS's 17 and 74. They have consistently shown a dedicated and intentional effort to create a culture and climate of character that encompasses their entire school community - staff, students and families alike,” remarked Melissa Frawley, CITRS Mentor Coach. Along with the other 2021 Promising Practice recipients, Hamlin Park Academy and Early Childhood Center will be honored by Character.org at its National Forum to be held October 20-22, 2021. To learn more about the upcoming forum, visit https://www.character.org/forum. ### About CITRS, Inc: CITRS is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower people to achieve success by building a strong foundation of character. CITRS works with educators and school districts to achieve character-centered environments where students thrive ethically, socially, and academically.

September 9, 2019 Gladwyne, PA: Over 100 golfers attended the fifth annual CITRS OPEN on Monday, September 9th at the Philadelphia Country Club to support CITRS and character development. The day began with lunch on the Philadelphia Country Club Pavilion. CEO Clay Hamlin offered an introductory speech with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Cocktails were served on the patio and students from St. Cyril of Alexandria, an area CITRS partner school, welcomed guests as they took their seats in the main ballroom for dinner. Before dinner commenced, the attendees enjoyed a drone golf ball drop onto a target on the 18th hole to win a $1,000 giveaway. This year’s dinner honored Jimmy Murray, co-founder of the Ronald McDonald House, former General Manager of the Philadelphia Eagles and author of Life is An Audible, with the 2019 Character Achievement Award by the Pennsylvania Character Consortium. He was honored for his inspiring servant leadership, character and integrity as he continues to bring positive change to the Philadelphia community and around the world. Jimmy encouraged attendees to support CITRS’ mission and to bring its successful character development model to the Philadelphia area stating that, “great things start in Philly.” CITRS thanks all of its sponsors and attendees for their generous support to make this year’s event a true success. Plans are already underway for next year’s sixth annual CITRS OPEN on Monday, September 14, 2020. CITRS will also be hosting their inaugural Dancing with the Stars for Character gala on March 21, 2020 at Vie, in Philadelphia, featuring local celebrities as dancers in support of character development. To register or sponsor, please visit www.citrs.org/dwts. About Us: CITRS is a local non-profit that stands for Character, Integrity, Trust, Relationships and Success. Its mission is to work 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.

CITRS, The Character Council of Western New York, and Character Counts! are proud to announce that The Buffalo Public School District's Character Development Initiative was featured in the Another Voice column of The Buffalo News! CCWNY President Suzanne Bracci and CITRS CEO Clay Hamlin joined forces to write an engaging exposé on the initiative and the upcoming panel and celebratory reception, hosted by the Buffalo History Museum. Please click here to read more!

CITRS and Character Counts! have partnered to implement a customized character development initiative for the Buffalo Public School District (BPSD) based on Character Counts’ 5.0 Model Standards. This initiative involves 22 schools in the City of Buffalo. The long-term goal is to aid in the development of students for educational advancement, success in the workplace and becoming ethical, compassionate citizens. The short-term goals are to create a safe, healthy, and secure environment within each school and improve students’ academic performance, behavior, character traits, social emotional learning, and interpersonal skills. The three-year initiative is supported locally by three Mentors/Coaches in Buffalo, three members of the CITRS staff located in Philadelphia, and three members of the CHARACTER COUNTS! national staff. CITRS creates a monthly newsletter that provides a look into the initiative’s progress in the Buffalo Public Schools, and has a Spotlight on ‘Character in Action,’ which highlights best practices from various schools in the BPSD. There is also content for continuing professional growth related to the integration of Character Counts! See Buffalo CC Newsletter June 2017. ABOUT The BPSD serves nearly 34,000 students at 60 facilities. Its mission is to ensure that “every student will have the confidence, knowledge, thinking skills, character and hope to assume responsibility for her/his life and contribute to the lives of others.” Teachers and administration at the 22 schools involved in this initiative have been working diligently, along with Mentor/Coaches, to integrate CC! into schools and students’ lives as seamlessly as possible. To learn more about BPSD, visit: http://www.buffaloschools.org/

June 2, 2020 BRYN MAWR, PA: Buffalo Public School District’s Harvey Austin School #97 has been designated a National School of Character by Character.org- a national advocate for character in schools, families, sports and the workplace, and headquartered in Washington, DC. They are one of only three schools in New York State to receive this honor. This recognition is the result of Harvey Austin School’s dedication over three years to implement the comprehensive character development initiative by CITRS, in partnership with CHARACTER COUNTS!. “The national winners serve as an exemplary model for all schools and districts across the nation. The educators at these schools are inspiring their students to treat all people with respect and dignity,” stated Lori Soifer, National Director at Character.org. To win its National School of Character award, Harvey Austin underwent a rigorous evaluation and site visit process, achieving critical benchmark scores on criteria demonstrating their integration of the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education. One significant change over 2017 to 2019 was a 51% decrease in office discipline referrals (ODRs). Another significant impact, from 2016 to 2018, was a 42% decrease in out-of-school suspensions. "Receiving this distinguished honor is a true testament for how far the Harvey Austin school community has come. With consistently instilling the core values of strong character into our students, we know that we are well on our way to achieve greatness in all facets of developing the whole child,” stated Principal Demario Strickland. Assistant Principal Cassandra Gasbarrini commented “Through the strong buy-in and unwavering dedication of our staff in promoting how imperative character development of our students is, we have been able to create a climate unlike one I have seen anywhere else in my experience. I look forward to going into work each morning, and more importantly, I believe the students do as well!” Harvey Austin, a receivership school which was on the verge of closing, participates in the nationally recognized CITRS/CHARACTER COUNTS! Comprehensive Character Development Initiative with 21 other Buffalo Public School District’s schools. Harvey Austin is the first school in the district to receive this designation. Since National Schools of Character have the best school climates and exceptional results for students, the goal of this initiative is that every school eventually becomes a National School of Character. 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.

The Buffalo Public School District’s (BPSD) Character Development Initiative is gaining momentum and people are taking notice. The groundbreaking initiative has been brought to Buffalo, NY by CITRS and CHARACTER COUNTS! to deliver the most effective, scalable, and comprehensive character development solutions to 21 Buffalo Public Schools. The initiative benefits over 14,000 pre-K – 12th grade students. Recently, Character.org, the character industry’s leading advocate and evaluator, featured an article on the BPSD’s Character Development Initiative. Written by Dr. Karen Geller, the article highlights the promise and success of the Buffalo initiative. Geller affirms the success of the initiative, saying “This is a scalable, innovative character initiative that offers significant promise to the character industry as it can be easily duplicated in other districts. In addition, scaling reduces costs substantially.” CITRS has a unique system that has generated unprecedented buy-in from leaders, administrators, teachers, parents, and students in the Buffalo area. This support directly speaks to the positive impact the initiative has already made, such as decreasing violence and bullying. CITRS is proud to see the impressive progress being made by the schools involved in this initiative and looks forward to all of the positive impacts that will continue to be made. Click to read the full article.

We overheard a conversation between Clay Hamlin and Gene Miller, the co-founders of CITRS. Clay: “Hey Gene, how are you doing?” Gene: “Personally, I’m ok. But I’m concerned with what’s happening in our country. There is uncertainty, racial tension, civil unrest, and emotions are running high. People don’t know where to turn.” Clay: “Can we do anything to help?” Gene: “I believe we can. But we need to get to the root cause of the problem. Respect is one of the most important character strengths, but yet it seems to be missing on so many levels today. Perhaps we can do something around respect. But it needs to be short, simple and impactful or it will just be another thing that gets lost.” Clay: “That makes sense, Gene. I‘m thinking. I remember back when I was a teenager. I was self-centered, exhibited bad conduct and wasn’t very thoughtful to others. My mom sat me down and, in no uncertain terms, told me I had better change. I asked her how – what should I do? ” Gene: “What did she say?” Clay: “It was short and simple. She said that I just needed to follow the ‘Golden Rule’ – Always do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Looking back, those twelve words changed my life.’ Gene: “Come to think of it, the Golden Rule has been an invaluable standard in most societies going back over five thousand years. It is unique because it governs a person’s way of deciding how to act by first putting himself or herself in the other person’s shoes. In doing so, it promotes empathy and respect toward the other person as well.” Clay: “Its beauty is that it says so much in only twelve words. It is easy for anyone to remember and to do. So much of our work in character development takes a longer time to absorb. But I remember as a teenager immediately understanding and putting into use the Golden Rule in my thoughts and actions every day. It has such a broad and everyday impact.” Gene: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Can you imagine if the Golden Rule becomes the first thing a person thinks of before he or she decides what to do? If so, many of our character problems today would cease to exist. This alone would be a great gift to humanity.” Clay: “Rich or poor, old or young, and for all ethnicities and races, the Golden Rule is universal and for everyone. It urges us to think before we act, and promotes treating others with respect, civility and empathy. Gene: “OK. Let’s push it, starting today: The Golden Rule for Everyone!”

CITRS, The Character Council of Western New York, and Character Counts! would like to thank all the guests and panel members who attended Wednesday’s Panel Series Discussion hosted by the Buffalo History Museum. The evening was an engaging opportunity for the community to celebrate the completion of the first full school year of the Buffalo Public School District’s Character Development Initiative.  Approximately 200 guests were in attendance from members of the business and philanthropic community, Buffalo City government, police department, other nonprofit community organizations, as well as professional athletes, notable community members, and administration, principals and staff from the Buffalo Public Schools and surrounding area school districts. Panelists and Hosts from Left to Right: Demario Strickland (Principal of Harvey Austin School #97), James M. Wadsworth (Former President of the John R. Oishei Foundation's Board of Directors), Suzanne Bracci (President of the Character Council of Western New York), Clay Hamlin (Co-Founder of CITRS and Buffalo Native), Melissa Nunez (Chief Operating Officer of CITRS), Colleen Cunningham (Supervisor of the Buffalo Public School District's Office of School Leadership), Dr. Gary Smit (Master Trainer of CHARACTER COUNTS!), Heidi Milch (Executive Director of Community Connections of New York, Inc.), and Sarah Carney (Operations Assistant). This initiative has, so far, touched the lives of nearly 14,000 Buffalo children and their families, across 21 schools. It is the largest comprehensive character development program in the nation. We believe that the ongoing dedication to improving the daily lives and future prospects of Buffalo’s children will help put Buffalo in the national spotlight and greatly improve the overall community. The panel covered a variety of topics, including the initial motivations behind the initiative, the tools and materials provided through the initiative, and firsthand accounts of the initiative’s progress to date across all the participating schools. Guests were introduced to the statistical measures of success that the initiative uses to gauge the schools’ progress, and the ongoing efforts to grow the solid foundation that the schools have built as the initiative moved into its second year. During an insightful Question and Answer session, the panel was able to address some concerns presented by the community members, as well as expand on some of the salient features of the initiative. During the reception, guests were able to engage in a more casual dialogue with the panelists. Over and over, guests recalled a comment made by Dr. Gary Smit, “We all know students who have aced their classes, but who have failed in life. What can we do to give all of our students the true tools they need to succeed?” For Lorene Boyd, Dean of Students at West Hertel Academy, the answer is: “Character Counts! is essential. The skills they teach all come together, they become one. I would like to see this program all throughout the city.” This initiative is a springboard for all of Western New York School Districts and other youth education programs. Even more importantly, Western New York has the opportunity to become the national leader in comprehensive character development. Join the growing list of Buffalo’s leading individuals, foundations and organizations who are supporting character development in the Western New York area, including the Buffalo initiative.

Every year, the President, and U.S. Senate proclaim the third week in October CHARACTER COUNTS! Week. And every year millions of kids in dozens of countries participate. No matter what your political or religious affiliation, this event is about the universal character values we share. From Buffalo to Philadelphia, CITRS’ client schools and districts organized fun events and character building exercises for their students and faculty. CITRS is proud to partner with Character Counts! to promote the character values we all share. At PS 30 Frank A. Sedita Academy in the Buffalo Public School District, homeroom teachers submitted work from students that explains how they demonstrate character traits. The pieces of work are hung in the hall to illustrate the many ways that the Sedita Dragons model character traits. PS 45 International School in the Buffalo Public School District celebrated CC! Week with a fun, themed Spirit Week! Join next year in celebrating Character Counts! Week 2019, October 20th to 26th.

March 16, 2018 Mayor of Buffalo Byron Brown was featured as a guest speaker at BUILD Academy’s CHARACTER COUNTS! (CC!) Guest Speakers Series. BUILD Academy is one of the 21 schools participating in the CITRS/CC! Buffalo Public School District (BPSD) Character Development Initiative. Showing his support for the BPSD’s Character Development Initiative, Mayor Brown spoke on the importance of Trustworthiness. The Mayor detailed the major impact that trustworthiness and overall good character have on an individual’s life and how such attributes help students to develop integrity, achieve goals, build strong and healthy relationships, and cultivate a respectable reputation. He used his experiences as Mayor to exemplify the outcomes of demonstrating good character and told students that their roles as scholars impacts their academic performance and success in life. Mayor Brown told students, “People who have good character make a powerful difference in the world.” Students were thrilled to hear Mayor Brown speak, as they listened intently to the Mayor’s wisdom, experiences, examples, and advice. BUILD Academy’s CC! Monthly Guest Speaker Series has been a major success, giving students the opportunity to connect with prominent community leaders and learn more about how character directly impacts one’s life and experiences.

Washington, D.C. - CITRS CEO Clay Hamlin spoke about “Taking Character to Scale” at Character.org’s National Forum on Character Education on Friday, October 21, 2017. Along with fellow experts in the field, Clay discussed the various ways in which character development initiatives can be scaled to extend past individual schools and school districts. Panelists conferred on the innovative new techniques being used to scale character development throughout districts and communities on a larger scale. CITRS Chief Innovative Officer, Jeanne Craft, and Chief Academic Officer, Brendan Petersen, also spoke at Character.org’s National Forum on Character Education on Saturday, October 22, 2017. They moderated a panel that included Beth Brown, Ph.D. (Managing Director of Chapter Programs and Research for First Tee), Jessica Kruskamp (Chief Education Officer for New York Junior Tennis and Learning), and Shaina Ross (Assistant Program Director for the US Soccer Foundation). The panel focused on Sports and Character, highlighting the various ways in which the 11 Principles of Character can be used to enhance character development in sports and after-school organizations.

Scholarly research coming out of Cal Berkeley by Dr. Larry Nucci asserts that to achieve successful character outcomes, character development needs to be viewed in a holistic, comprehensive way. He argues that character is not merely a collection of virtues or personality traits. Rather character is best developed in a unified, interconnected system in which multiple factors work together to bring about the greatest overall impact for student success. CITRS’s framework focuses on the development of the whole-child. Our comprehensive character development is a multi-faceted and coherent system which covers all bases to foster sustained character growth for young people.