Global trends in education increasingly recognize the value of fostering character development throughout the curriculum and nurturing a moral ethos in schools. At the same time, there is heightened interest in social and emotional learning and relationship education. Encouraging these trends, the International Educational Foundation (IEF) has been active in Russia, China, the United States and other nations.

ObjectivesIEF is a nonsectarian, not for profit educational organization founded in 1990 to advocate character education, service learning, family education and prevention education in all parts of the world. To that end, IEF's objectives are:

•To explore perspectives on universal values that seek to integrate the best of Eastern and Western, spiritual and material as well as traditional and contemporary values.

•To develop a heart-centered approach to character development and a love-centered view of moralityand ethics.

•To support the work of educators, parents, community leaders and others involved with helping youth and families to enhance the cooperation of the home, school and community in the pursuit of child, adolescent and adult character development.

•To develop materials and produce books that promote character education and service learning in general, target specific youth issues such as sexuality education, drug abuse prevention and conflict resolution, and that empower families through marriage and parenting education.

About the International Educational FoundationAbout the International Educational Foundation

Activities

This work began in the countries of the former Soviet Union in 1990 with an international exchange that brought students and educators to the United States for leadership training seminars. This led to collaboration with Russian educators to produce comprehensive educational materials for moral and prevention education in local schools. Since then, hundreds of teacher training seminars have been held to introduce teachers to these materials and to new methodologies that successfully integrate universal values with specific local cultural traditions. Currently, curricula developed by IEF are being used in over 10,000 schools in Russia, Mongolia and other countries of the former Soviet Union. The IEF Eurasian office is in Moscow.

In Asia, the work of IEF has involved conferences with local educators and community workers in China, Mongolia, India and other nations with the aim of cooperatively developing heart and character education resources and teacher training materials. Numerous seminars and trainings promoting character, marriage and parenting education have been held in all provinces of China, with the support of universities, teacher colleges, local departments of education and a broad spectrum of other organizations. The organization maintains its Asian office in Beijing.In the United States, IEF generates publications while offering consulting services to local schools and making presentations at national and regional teacher and academic conferences. The organization's American and international headquarters is in New York. IEF is now expanding its work into South America, Europe and Africa.

Visit our website: http://www.internationalcharacter.org

About the International Educational FoundationAbout the International Educational Foundation

As the world grows smaller and intercultural exchange increases, the citizens of tomorrow's world need to be more adaptable than any previous generation. Good character, the ability to make good and loving relationships and the heart to make a social contribution become all the more important when society is in constant flux and cultural cues are less certain. Thus, it is helpful for young people to be grounded in fundamental, universal values that will aid them in the diverse situations they will be facing.

Yet educators, parents and leaders worldwide are debating about how best to transmit those values in this era of unprecedented change. Family breakdown and the attendant social ills are grave concerns. Crime rates among adolescents are escalating. Teachers report rising peer cruelty among their students, increased ethnic bigotry, and lack of respect for authority. Illicit drug use is increasing at younger ages. Shoplifting, vandalism, lying, and cheating have become rampant. In the words of character educator Dr. Thomas Lickona, students in general are more "resistant to control and basic socialization."

Effective methods, both new and traditional, are needed to help caring adults guide youth. It is also necessary to present compelling and attractive reasons for living a life for the sake of others. Searching for Life’s True Purpose: Perspectives on Morality and Ethics Series helps to answer these needs, offering insights for moral and ethical education that have been developed through research and experience working with educators for over a decade in Russia, China, and the United States, as well as in other countries. This resource is for educators, parents, social activists and all those interested in raising young people to become responsible and caring adults.

About this CDAbout this CD

Presentation ManualsPresentation Manuals

Searching for Life’s True Purpose: Perspectives on Morality and Ethics is a series representing the fruit of thousands of presentations given in Eurasia, Asia and North America. Each handsome, full-color volume is intended to serve as a manual for presenters, a resource for deeper study, and a general introduction to IEF perspectives. Ideal for educators, school administrators, clergy, counselors, community leaders and parents. Titles in the series include:

• The Need for Moral Education• The Role of Religion in Moral Education• Universal Principles and Life Goals• The Family as the School of Love• The Consequences of the Sexual Revolution• Family Life Education: Which Road to Take?• An Ethic of True Love and Sexuality• Preparing Youth for Marriage• Promoting a Marriage Culture• Building Healthy Marriages• Causes and Resolution of Conflict• Fostering a Culture of Peace through Service• Drugs and Our Youth: Focus on Prevention

Other ResourcesOther ResourcesCultivating Heart and Character: Educating for Life's Most Essential GoalsTony Devine, Joon Ho Seuk, Andrew Wilson, EditorsChapel Hill, North Carolina: Character Development Publishing, 2000

The perfect reference for educators, counselors, home schoolers, religious leaders, and concerned parents. This book explains the essence of character and provides practical ways to foster character and emotional intelligence, good relationships and social responsibility. Topics include the moral impact of marriage and family, sexual ethics and drug abuse prevention.

"If you are a parent, educator or youth specialist concerned with character education (and you should be!), then buy this book." Wade Horn, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary, Dept. Health and Human Services

Building Character through Service LearningKathy Winings, Ed.D.Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Character Development Publishers, 2002

This offers an in-depth look at the integral role service plays in the development of character. Educators, community leaders and parents will find insight and practical information to connect service learning with civic, family and character education. Best practices, helpful theory and "how to" methods provide a rich discussion of the importance of service learning in education and community settings.

"For many young people, service to others is the key to escape from the shackles of self-preoccupation… This brief book provides educators with a complete and compelling guide to… the dynamic service learning movement."Dr. Kevin Ryan, Boston University Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character

(On the web)

Other ResourcesOther Resources

My Journey in Life: A Student Textbook for Character DevelopmentMoscow: IEF, 2001

This engaging middle school and high school resource for moral education touches upon classic questions about life and what it means to be a good person that young people think about as well as introduces the founders and teachings of the world's religions. This text established IEF's reputation in Eurasia. Full of exercises, illustrations and stories, it was originally developed for the former Soviet Union and can be adapted for any context.