Teaching Character Education to Students with Behavioral and Learning Disabilities through Mentoring Relationships

Despite nation-wide efforts to implement character education programs in schools, there is no research that specifically examines the effectiveness of these programs on students with behavioral and learning disabilities. SO (Service-Learning Opportunities) Prepared for Citizenship, an after school program, was designed to enhance the character development of elementary students. This study showed that students with disabilities expressed responsibility for their actions, responded to the ideas of cooperation and teamwork and respect and appreciation of diversity, learned to make new friends, and found learning about character to be fun and rewarding. Includes 44 references.