The recipient of Citizens for Safe Schools’ third annual Character Builder Award is long time educator Bill Leary. The Character Builder Award recognizes outstanding contributions that a group or individual provides to building socially, ethically and morally strong students.

Bill recently came out of retirement with the Klamath Falls City Schools to fulfill the position as Vice Principal at EagleRidge, a new public charter high school dedicated to a small school culture and project-based learning in a technology rich environment. On May 21st he was presented with a Character Builder Award Certificate and a $500 check for the school’s future character education related activities.

Sarah Shelton, a 16-year-old sophomore at EagleRidge High School, was selected to receive a scholarship to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy.

The camp's focus is to show students with leadership qualities how to use their skills and gifts efficiently and successfully. The leadership academy features motivational speakers and skill-building exercises and drills.

Camp Royale will be held from June 23 - 28 in Salem.

Several Eagleridge High School students are preparing for a trip to Belize. While there, they will implement projects developed as a part of a science classroom assignment.

In November the students were assigned the task of studying the Central American rain forest and its effects on the Mayan people still living in that forest. Following general research on the topic, the students learned that most of the difficulties faced by the villages today are linked to the rainforest environment. The students were asked to focus on one area of need within a village and find solutions that meet certain criteria. These criteria included: 1) Cost effective (CHEAP) 2) Simple to implement 3) Easy to maintain 4) Supplies and materials available in the area.

Through contact with the village of Medina Bank, Belize, the students learned that the greatest needs were in the areas of communication, transportation, agriculture, health, and post-elementary education.
While there were many innovative solutions, three students developed their projects to the point that they were ready for real-world implementation.

Daeland Wyse of EagleRidge High has been chosen as a 2008 American Youth Character Award winner. Applicants were nominated by their teachers, and then selected by a community board for their commitment to the core values of Character Counts: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship.

Recipients of the award will receive a framed certificate from the Klamath County Commissioners and a $200 savings bond for their commitment to character.