Coalition Seeks To Foster Core Values Among Youths

By Jessica Portner

Warning of a "crisis in character'' among the nation's youths, an alliance of 27 education and community groups has launched a campaign aimed at strengthening such core values as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship among young people.

Founded by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, a philanthropic organization devoted to teaching ethical behavior, the Character Counts Coalition includes such groups as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Urban League.

"I think [this effort] has to start with an awareness that there is a hole in the moral ozone and it's getting bigger,'' Michael Josephson, the president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and founder of the...