Markkula Center of Applied Ethics

Ethics Camp to Premiere in Summer '98

While most summer camps bring children into the woods for a week of hiking and swimming, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics' new camp will bring teachers to the Center from August 3Æ7 for a week of learning how to model ethical behavior and incorporate ethics into their classrooms.

Informally known as Ethics Camp, "Character Education: Ethics in the KÆ12 Classroom" is designed to serve 60 elementary and secondary school teachers. The program will explore the current research on major approaches to moral and behavioral development, focusing on character education and moral decision making.

"We'll look at moral development as well as specific skills students need to deal with the anger and impulsive behavior that sometimes get in the way of acting ethically," said Steve Johnson, one of the program's facilitators.

Participants will leave camp ready not only to integrate ethics into their own classrooms but also to serve as resources for their colleagues, according to Jane Kerney-Ogle, Center director of corporate and community relations. "They will work with other teachers to educate their students on a framework for ethical decision making," she said.

Rather than dealing with ethics as a separate subject, camp participants will learn how to integrate ethics into the core curriculum, concentrating on the themes currently used in California schools. For example, Johnson said, participants will discuss how they might use the 9th-grade literature theme of the heroic journey in helping students to explore moral choices.

Faculty for the camp includes Johnson, director of School Programs at the Ethics Center; Thomas Shanks, S.J., Center executive director; and Steve Kahl, teacher and coordinator of the GATE program at Independence High School, San Jose.

The camp will culminate in an overnight retreat at the St. Francis Retreat House in San Juan Bautista. Participants will earn three continuing education units. Tuition for the 5-day program is $600.

Applications can be obtained from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Attn: Ethics Camp, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053-0633. For more information, call 408-554-5319, or visit our Web site at www.scu.edu/SCU/Centers/Ethics.