The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility), located in Cornish Hall of SUNY Cortland's School of Education, was founded in 1994 by education professor and psychologist Dr. Thomas Lickona. Its mission is to promote the development of moral and performance character in schools, families, and communities. Its staff includes Dr. Lickona, director; Marthe Seales, office manager; SUNY Cortland students; and community volunteers. It has trained more than 5,000 educators from 40 states and 20 countries.
The Center:
- Co-sponsors Smart & Good Schools (see free resources) with IEE (Institute for Excellence & Ethics)
- Promotes a 12-point comprehensive approach to character educaion
- Publishes excellence & ethics (best practices newsletter)
- Offers assessment instruments and other character education resources
- Disseminates Smart & Good High Schools, its study of 24 award-winning high schools
- Provides presentations for educators and parents (see list of topics on which Dr. Lickona speaks).
The Center is grateful to the John Templeton Foundation,
the Sanford N. McDonnell Foundation, and Dr. Hal Urban
for their financial support.
