PROGRAM TO STRESS VALUE OF CHARACTER : S. CLARITA EMBARKS ON EDUCATION EFFORT.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

Saying that personal values are waning in our society, the city plans to promote moral values in an ambitious effort that will reach every corner of Santa Clarita from the classroom to the boardroom.

Starting next month, the city will kick off Character Counts!, a program that promotes six values: trustworthiness, citizenship, respect, responsibility, fairness and caring.

``It's incumbent on our parents, religious leaders and business leaders to teach our children what is right and what's wrong and how to make good decisions based on those principles,'' said Heather Tolen, the city's youth and family coordinator.

To introduce the program, the city plans a VIP reception at the Valencia Country Club in November and will visit schools touting its merits.

Under the program, the city will distribute posters, fliers, stickers and videotapes to schools and businesses interested in influencing their employees.

City officials hope the materials spark discussion among residents about the importance of moral character.

``If businesses teach their employees, then kids are going to see it at home and on the soccer fields. It's going to start coming out,'' Tolen said.

Character Counts! is part of the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in Marina del Rey that promotes ethical values.

Founded in 1993, Character Counts! seeks to teach youngsters the importance of moral values, known as the Six Pillars of Character, with lesson plans, videotapes and classroom activities.

The city hopes to expand on that concept by including adults and allowing individual schools and businesses to adapt the program to their needs. It plans to spend two months promoting each value, starting with caring.

``We figured that's the most appropriate with Thanksgiving and the Christmas season coming up,'' Tolen said. ``What we'll do is send a reminder to businesses (and schools) that character counts in Santa Clarita and that the next two months is devoted to caring.''

Tolen said the program is necessary in an era of single-parent households and two-parent working families. She said many families don't have time to teach their children the fundamentals of right and wrong.

She also said a laissez-faire mentality that blurs right and wrong have contributed to a breakdown in moral character.

``Right and wrong is increasingly confusing for everybody as more groups talk about the rights of people and their own personal rights,'' Tolen said. ``What we're getting is a relative morality instead of basic learning of what's right and wrong.''

Santa Clarita is not the only city looking for guidance. Since Character Counts

started three years ago, 120 community service, civic and educational organization across the country have embraced it.

``People are fairly hungry,'' said Joyce Brubaker, who helps oversee Character Counts! ``There's an enormous erosion of character in the country. There's a terrible battle against violence, cheating and lying. People want to improve the moral fiber of young people and that is our mission.''

City officials said they looked at five values education programs before choosing Character Counts!, which they said supercedes religious, racial and ethnic values.

``We needed to find a program with morals and ethics not effected by religious or racial barriers,'' Tolen said. ``I don't think there's a single person in this world who can say they don't want their child to be responsible.''

Parents familiar with Character Counts! said they appreciate the program.

``It reinforces what you're teaching at home by teaching it in the classroom,'' said Tami Cueva, who arranged a Character Counts! assembly at Mountainview Elementary last week. ``It can't hurt.''