Children who attend many schools in Arizona learn about much more than reading, writing and other academics. They also get a dose of honesty, integrity and other character traits. Parents can pick up ideas on the campuses they can use at home to help their children build strong character. About 600 schools, plus 4-H clubs, YMCAs, Girl Scouts and other groups in Arizona, teach the Character Counts! Program, which enforces six characteristics: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics, a nonprofit organization, started CHARACTER COUNTS! in 1993 and then-Gov. Jane Hull implemented it in the state's public schools about seven years ago. Now the Arizona Character Education Foundation, of which Prescott parent Tammy Amble Linn is founder and president, partners with the Arizona Department of Education to offer training, supplies and other resources to public and private schools and organizations at little or no charge. "There's more class time, more learning time and less disruptions when you've got kids that are there and kind and respectful," Linn said. "It's amazing." The above is an excerpt from an article by Colleen Sparks, printed in the Arizona Republic.