Most
Americans automatically associate the month
of February with HEARTS! For many,
Valentine’s Day brings hearts mounted on
boxes of candy, embossed on cards or
embroidered on cuddly stuffed animals.
These tokens of love express our warm
feelings that often go unmentioned during
other times of the year.
On a more serious note, this
month is designated by the National Heart
Association as “Heart Month”, a time to
focus on changes people can make in their
lifestyles to promote “heart-healthy
living.”
Several years ago, Mike
Conn, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel
and educator, began to experience a personal
heart condition unrelated to either St.
Valentine or “Heart Month.“ It was at that
time he and his wife Lisa found a tool that
fit perfectly with their purpose in
life—helping build families that last a
lifetime. It came in the form of a character
education program for kindergarten through
third grade called Manners of the Heart.
Perhaps this story
is best shared by Mike and Lisa...
Ann – “Why do you
have such a heart for families and
children?”
Mike – “Both Lisa and
I came from divorced families. When we were
married, we committed to do all we could
break the chain of divorce and create a
happy and healthy family. Unfortunately,
the demands of the military—long hours and
dangerous missions—created tremendous stress
in our marriage. Then when we almost lost
our first child, Ashley, at birth, I
realized there had to be a way to serve my
country while also being a good husband and
father. Thankfully, with a little
scheduling discipline and a less concern for
getting promoted, we were able to reach a
manageable balance between work and home.
With the death of my dad in 1988, Lisa and I
felt the call to help others build strong
families, thus avoiding the pain and turmoil
that divorce brings to both parents and
children.”
Ann – “How does
helping build strong families relate to
character education?”
Lisa – “When the
Columbine shootings took place, we grieved
for the broken hearts of the hundreds of
parents and children involved. This tragic
event, along with many previous events
involving children, convicted us that
something had to be done to change the
hearts of children. Then, a close friend
told us about Manners of the Heart,
an elementary school curriculum already
being used by more than 300 schools across
the nation to plant the seeds of
‘good-heartedness’ in children. This
successful program defines manners as an
attitude of the heart that is self-giving,
not self-serving. Based on Mike’s years of
teaching experience serving as Chief of the
Air Force’s Instructor Navigator School, on
staffs of Squadron Officer School and Air
Command and Staff College, and our work with
families, we realized this would be a
perfect tool to strengthen the hearts of
children and their families.”
Ann – “Why did you
form Character@Heart?”
Mike – “While
developing a plan to help put this program
in the schools of Alabama, we discovered
that even though the state mandated a
minimum of 10 minutes of character education
be taught every day, little funding was
available to pay for curriculum or
training. Consequently, we formed
Character@Heart to raise the money needed to
equip teachers and parents with tools to
effectively teach good character. So far,
we have been able to provide curriculum and
training to more than 100 schools annually
serving over 15,000 students in 20 Alabama
counties.”
Ann – “To whom do you
give the credit for this tremendous
progress?”
Mike – “It’s the men and women who share
our love for children and families and are
willing to give generously so others may
benefit. It started here in Montgomery with
Domino’s Pizza, Caddell Construction,
Reinhardt Toyota, the VFW, the Good Morning
Kiwanis Club, and others who in the first
year contributed over $40,000. With that,
we were able to introduce Manners of the
Heart to several schools in the
tri-county area. During our second year,
the Board of Directors of the Alabama Rural
Electric Association of Cooperatives (AREA)
voted unanimously to be a statewide sponsor
of the program. So far, with contributions
from nine electric cooperatives (EC)
totaling more than $250,000, we have been
able to provide the curriculum, training and
follow-up support to both individual schools
and entire school systems including all of
the schools served by Sand Mountain EC and
Cullman EC in North Alabama, Dixie EC in
Central Alabama, and Covington EC in South
Alabama.”
Ann – “What is your
number one objective during 2003?”
Lisa – “We want to
help Montgomery’s teachers and parents lead
the state and nation in character
education. Based on the experience we have
gained in both public and private schools
across Alabama, we believe that with
adequate funding, we can achieve that
objective.”
Ann – “What needs to
happen to bring Manners of the Heart
to all of Montgomery’s schools?”
Mike – “Because of
the local funding we raised during the first
year, and additional support from Dixie EC,
Caddell Construction, and the Montgomery
Automobile and Truck Dealers Association,
several local schools are already enjoying
the benefits of students who demonstrate
self-respect and respect for others.
Unfortunately, while members of the
Montgomery Board of Education have expressed
tremendous interest in putting this
curriculum in all of our schools, with a
looming large budget shortfall, funds may
not be forthcoming. Therefore, if
Montgomery is to lead the way, we need
several local corporate or individual
sponsors willing to contribute almost
$200,000 to fund the first year of a
five-year plan we have presented to the
board.”
Ann – “How
can parents help?”
Lisa – “Please help
us find potential sponsors for the
tri-county area. We would love to find a
sponsor like Cullman EC who in the last two
years has donated $70,000! However, we
appreciate any amount given to help bring
the finest in character education to all
the children of Montgomery.”
Ann – While the
Manners of the Heart curriculum does not
come in the expected trappings of
Valentine’s Day, it is obvious that its
“aim” is similar to that of Cupid’s – to
promote expressions of selfless love and
caring for others. Perhaps Mike and Lisa’s
dedication to these matters of the heart
combines the best of what February offers,
filling the hearts of children with love and
respect for others. And like the National
Heart Association, these life lessons
clearly lead to emotional, mental, and
physical well being for children, teachers
and parents by . . .
Building Character Today for
a Better Tomorrow!
Manners of the Heart®
is a registered trademark of Respectfully
Yours, Inc.
For more information, visit
www.mannersoftheheart.com. |
