FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        April 16, 2008

FISHER PARTICIPATES IN CHARACTER FIRST! PROGRAM

            Dr. Deena Fisher, dean of Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Woodward, recently was in Jennifer Long’s kindergarten classroom at Westwood Elementary School as part of the Character First! program.

Dr. Deena Fisher, dean of Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Woodward, visits the kindergarten classroom of Jennifer Long at Westwood Elementary School in Woodward, to teach the virtue of obedience as part of the Character First! program.

            Character First! is a program developed by the Character Training Institute in Oklahoma City. The Institute was established because of Kimray, Inc. manufacturing company, which in the early 1990s was experiencing difficulties in productivity, employee morale, absenteeism, quality production and discontent, etc. Tom Hill, president of the company, began emphasizing the development of character in the employees by restructuring hiring practices, employee recognition programs and company meetings.

            Hill was so successful with his efforts that numbers of other companies and organizations requested information and he subsequently established the Character Training Institute.

            Character First! was introduced into the Woodward Public Schools by Dr. Jeff Mills, superintendent. The Woodward Chamber of Commerce’s education committee co-sponsors the program and volunteers from the community go to schools to teach lessons designed to instill good character in the students.

            There are as many 45 character qualities listed in the program, but to correspond with the nine-month school calendar, Character First! has divided its education curriculum into four sets of nine character qualities. These qualities range from attentiveness to wisdom and everything in between, including forgiveness, initiative, enthusiasm, dependability, etc.

            Fisher was teaching the students about obedience and used the example of circus elephants and their trainers to illustrate the concept. She is scheduled to return to the classroom in mid-May.

-NW-

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