Laura Bush discusses the importance of teaching students about character, values, good citizenship, and service in a special television program co-produced by the U.S. Department of Education and Court TV.

"Character and Community" features videotaped excerpts from Mrs. Bush's discussions with students at Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School, near St. Louis, Mo., at a conference on character education held last October. The one-hour program is scheduled for broadcast on Friday, April 4, at 8 a.m. on the Court TV network, seen in some 80 million cable homes.

In the excerpts, students tell Mrs. Bush how their diverse and economically challenged school saw improvements in academic achievement, discipline, attendance, and safety after the introduction of a character education program six years ago.

"As students and teachers here at MRH High School have shown us, character not only strengthens an individual, it also strengthens America," Mrs. Bush said. "With the challenges our country faces today, character education is especially important. We need to continue to teach our children the qualities of being good citizens. The future success of our nation depends on our children's ability to understand the difference between right and wrong and to have the strength of character to make the right decisions."

The broadcast will also include:

• a one-on-one interview with Mrs. Bush conducted by Court TV anchor Catherine Crier;
• a conversation with U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and former National Football League player Darrell Green, who was recently appointed chairman of the new President's Council on Mentoring and Volunteerism;
• a discussion with leading researchers Darcia Narvaez of the University of Notre Dame and Kenneth Dodge of Duke University, who talk about the most effective ways to teach character and values; and
• videotaped profiles of successful efforts to teach values and improve school culture at Nicholas Senn High School, Chicago; Spring Grove Intermediate School, near York, Pa., and Woodley Hills Elementary School, Fairfax County, Va.

Character education is a key feature of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which includes the Partnerships in Character Education program and provides grants to design and put into practice instruction about aspects of character such as citizenship, justice, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness and giving.

Court TV will broadcast the program as part of its "Choices and Consequences" series aimed at empowering youth to make responsible decisions.

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