“Teaching Johnny to be Good” is the title of the New York Times Magazine cover article for Dr. Thomas Lickona and his organization’s work on the subject of character education. The 76-year-old American development psychologist and educator recently visited the Philippines for a series of talks on fostering moral values and character development. His first stop was the University of Asia and the Pacific. More than 800 individuals, half of which were students, flocked to the Dizon Auditorium on October 9, 2019 for the International Conference on Fostering Kindness and Respect in School and at Home featuring Dr. Lickona. Organized by the Junior College Program of the College of Arts and Sciences, the conference had separate sessions for students, educators, and parents. The founding director of the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility) at the State University of New York at Cortland discussed with his Filipino audience (1) how to make the right decisions on sex, love, and character; (2) practical strategies for the classroom on fostering kindness, respect, and gratitude; and (3) what parents can do to raise children of character. If you missed this international conference, we’ll give you here some of the highlights of Dr. Lickona’s talks with emphasis on what can apply to the youth—the Johns, not the Johnnys—in the classroom.
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UNIVERSITAS
DECEMBER 2019
