Parents’ Month This year Valley Character is celebrating the inaugural Parents’ Month. The period from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day will be officially recognized as Parents’ Month in the Roanoke Valley. Valley Character will work with school divisions and community service agencies around the greater Roanoke region to promote those activities designed to assist parents in the tough task of raising outstanding young people with strong character. Click here for more information >> The Sportsmanship Award is designed to recognize and reward those, players, teams and coaches whom exhibited good sportsmanship. It commenced in the fall of 2004 with the joint support of Kiwanis Clubs and the Regional Chamber of Commerce. The awards are now given out at Salem Avalanche and the Stagg Bowl and an Avalanche game. Click Here For More Information >> Ethics in the Workplace Student Workshop: This six-hour workshop to help students learn more about the ethical decision-making process. Students are presented with ethical dilemmas relevant to their field of interest. Students then engage in discussion, role-playing, and lecture to identify possible solutions for their ethical dilemma. In April 2005, Valley Character and GE ELFUN Society co-sponsored an “Ethics in the Workplace” workshop for 90 high school seniors from Salem High School. Click Here For More Information >> Hope Follows Work Valley Character works with different programs at Total Action Against Poverty to instill the message that the way to a better life is through work, and the way to more success in the workplace is responsibility and perserverence. That's not always easy, but looking at a journey to a better life as a climb up a ladder, many working in jobs requiing no formal education find difficulites that are easily avoided if they quit. However, quitting does not advance them up the ladder. Hope Follows Work has been offered to the Youthbuild program and one group of residents at the Transitional Living Center. Character Rocks! There is no better way to reach teenagers than music, particularly popular music. Valley CHaracter debuted its Character Rocks program at William Byrd in October. With the help of the local rock band Madrone -- a hard rock group that offers a positive, uplifting message -- the entire student body was able to spend an hour listening to great music and hearing the positive message. Kroger also offered a message of healthy bodies, healthy minds with a giveaway for fruit and bottled water as a healthy snack, and Robertson Marketing Group gave away items.