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Citizenship is Part of Character A person of good character is someone who acts ethically by being trustworthy, respectful of others, responsible, fair and caring. Ethical people are also good citizens. But what does it mean to be a good citizen and what does the term “citizenship” really mean? Citizenship is not passive. Citizenship demands participation, involvement and contribution. Good citizens go beyond their own interests, demonstrate a concern for the needs of others and recognize their obligations to make their home, school, neighborhood, country and world the best they can be. Citizenship is not passive. Citizenship demands participation, involvement and contribution. No one makes a difference without being involved. Citizenship means responsibility. Good citizenship in practice is understanding, appreciating and doing things that make life better for yourself and for other people. Citizenship is not just doing the thing that “looks good.” It is doing the thing that will really result in helping people. The good citizen thinks of the situation and the person, and tries to do what will help most. Responsibility means that the person thinks of the results of what he or she does. Citizenship is a two-way relationship and includes both rights and duties. My rights depend on you fulfilling your responsibilities. My responsibility includes the duty to see that you are free to exercise your rights. Good citizenship is learned. Being a good citizen means more than knowing how the government functions. The essence of good citizenship is accepting social responsibility to others and to future generations. You can help young people learn citizenship through the CHARACTER COUNTS!SM program. CHARACTER COUNTS! is a character education program developed by the Josephson Institute of Ethics. The program stresses six “pillars of character”: respect, trustworthiness, responsibility, caring, fairness and citizenship. MSU Extension’s 4-H Youth Development is a member of the national CHARACTER COUNTS! coalition. At a summer 4-H camp held jointly with Isabella and Gratiot counties, participants experienced the pillars of character through CHARACTER COUNTS! activities, postermaking and by receiving “prescriptions” for good character traits throughout the week from their teen counselors. The campers experienced the pillar of citizenship firsthand on the last morning by participating in community service projects including cleaning up a park, picking up trash along the roadway and washing cars for neighbors of the 4-H camp. Teens teaching CHARACTER COUNTS! is the ultimate community service project. CHARACTER COUNTS! is designed for teens to use with younger children. The materials include very clear instructions and a step-by-step approach. The materials are divided into five age groups: 4–6; 6–9; 9–11; 11–13; and teens. When teenagers work with younger children to help them learn the concepts and practice behaviors like responsibility and citizenship, you might call that the ultimate community service project! (Of course, adults also enjoy using CHARACTER COUNTS! as well.) (This article was adapted with permission from the CHARACTER COUNTS! “Exercising Character” citizenship activity.) Learning Materials More information on learning materials available to support these activities can be found in the Michigan Guide to 4-H or through the MSU Bulletin Office. Training & Events For upcoming training and events in this area, check the 4-H Volunteer Workshops web site, the MSU Extension Calendar, and the 4-H Exploration Days and 4-H Capitol Experience web sites. Contact Information For more information on how to get involved as a youth or volunteer, contact your county MSU Extension office or: Karen Pace, Program Leader, Back to Character Education in Michigan Copyright
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