Today, CBS News and Drake University officially launched free educational programming that aims to bring lessons on good character and kindness to teachers and students around the world, at no cost, as part of a partnership that was announced earlier this year. The partnership features the two organizations’ initiatives that focus on making good choices and showing good character: CBS News’ “Kindness 101” and Drake’s CHARACTER COUNTS!.
As schools closed for the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Steve Hartman, CBS News correspondent, and his kids launched a web series called “Kindness 101.” The short videos featured excerpts from Hartman’s “On the Road” series and highlighted stories about kindness, character, and the people who have mastered these important qualities.
CHARACTER COUNTS!, an initiative of Drake’s Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, is based around the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship. Through 30 years of working with educators, CHARACTER COUNTS! provides best practices and resources to support schools’ character development programs.
Kindness 101 and CHARACTER COUNTS! partnered to produce several three-minute videos that include lesson plans, activities, and family connections focused on the Six Pillars of Character. Beginning today, Kindness101.com will feature these new lesson plans for K-12 educators at no cost. CBS News and Drake hope this programming can serve as a resource for educators across the globe as a new school year gets underway.
“This has been a dream of mine for a very long time,” said Hartman. “The people I’ve met ‘On the Road’ have given me so many important life lessons. I’m beyond grateful to now have this opportunity to share those lessons with school children across the country.”
Drake University President Marty Martin added, “We are proud to partner with CBS News to bring new, inspiring resources to educators through Kindness 101. We seek to transform lives and strengthen communities, and our Kindness 101 partnership provides a unique and powerful platform to achieve those goals.”
About “Kindness 101”
Kindness 101 was nominated for a News Emmy in 2020 and has since been adapted into a weekly series for “CBS Mornings.”
About CHARACTER COUNTS!
Through public awareness and programming grounded in research, CHARACTER COUNTS! helps create strong, vibrant communities that value positive, healthy relationships and respectful behavior. Our initiatives benefit people of all ages and are easily adaptable for families, schools, workplaces, and athletic teams and organizations. CHARACTER COUNTS! is a project of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University.