Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Recognizes Educators for Excellence in Teaching Character Development

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation presented its first-ever Medal of Honor Excellence in Character Education awards Saturday night in Los Angeles.

"This award was created to recognize teachers for excellence in teaching the Medal of Honor Character Development Program (CDP)," said Col. (Retired) Bruce Crandall, Medal of Honor Recipient. "The teachers were chosen from a nationwide pool by a panel of judges that included four Medal of Honor Recipients."

Teachers were selected at the middle and high school levels and received a $5,000 award. The award was made possible by the CORRINE AND LENNY SANDS FAMILY FOUNDATION.

In presenting the awards, Foundation Director Lenny Sands, chairman and CEO of Capital Brands, LLC, said "For your dedication to the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, your unique approach to teaching, and the impact you have had on your students, we present you with the Medal of Honor Excellence in Character Education Award."

Ray Brassard teaches at Emerald Ridge High School and coaches football at Puyallup High School in Puyallup, Washington. Brassard uses CDP in critical thinking and writing lessons. He created a Medal of Honor wall in his classroom that features different Recipients throughout the year. He also uses stories of Medal of Honor Recipients to motivate his players.

"This award is an incredible opportunity to be a voice and an advocate for the CDP and to share the power of the stories of the Recipients with a wider audience," said Brassard. "Recipient stories need to be told and their names need to be known. I feel a responsibility to the Recipients and to my students to ensure that their experiences are not forgotten."

Lisa Reina and Sheila Edwards team-teach CDP at Sierra Vista Middle School in Covina, California. They credit CDP as a reason why their school is only one of three in California to be recognized as a School of Character by Character.org. They have their students participate in Medal of Honor and CDP projects that extend beyond the classroom and involve the local community.

"With CDP, students realize quickly that all types of people can be heroes," said Edwards. "The videos of Medal of Honor Recipients depict them as real, ordinary people who did the extraordinary when a situation called for it and our students can relate to that."

"When I first saw the CDP, I felt like somebody finally understood what I needed to do with my students," said Reina. "We have a new focus on leadership and I use CDP to ask students to define themselves and to understand what it means to be a leader."  

The Foundation has taught CDP to more than 12,000 teachers in 41 states. Visit www.themedalofhonor.com to learn more about CDP and the Medal of Honor Excellence in Character Education Award.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society:

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society was chartered by the Congress in 1958 to create a brotherhood among the living Medal of Honor recipients, to protect and uphold the dignity and honor of the Medal, to promote patriotism and love of country, and to inspire our youth to become worthy and dedicated citizens of our nation. Its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. Today, there are 72 living Recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Society is unique in that its membership hopes that there will be no need to welcome new inductees.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation:

The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation was founded in 1999 by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to perpetuate the legacy of the Medal. Through character development, scholarship and citizen recognition programs based on the values embodied in the Medal — courage, sacrifice, selfless service and patriotism — the Foundation teaches all citizens that they can make a difference in the lives of others. The Foundation also supports the important work of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Tax ID #25-1828488, the Foundation carries a rating of 4/4 stars for fiscal management, accountability and transparency from Charity Navigator, America's premiere nonprofit evaluator.

Contact: Mike Caldwell, 703- 469-1861

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SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation