Washington County Chamber of Commerce joined forces with Brenham ISD and Burton ISD in 2017 to create P.E.A.C.E — Public Education Ambassadors for Community Engagement — a remarkable program for children that’s the first of its kind in the nation. Through P.E.A.C.E., local businesses and educators impart character-building values using an existing curriculum called Core Essential Values. The curriculum was originally designed for schools, staff, and families. What makes this a first is that through P.E.A.C.E., Washington County Chamber of Commerce adds another layer — by enlisting businesses to reinforce the messaging. Together, the chamber business partners and the schools promote P.E.A.C.E.
“The P.E.A.C.E. program supports the effort to help the kids see that those values they’re learning not only exist in schools, but in families and in our community,” says Shae Janner, business programs manager of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. Initially, armed with the idea to promote the county’s public schools, the chamber reached out to the community organization, Brenham GameChangers, and were put in touch with a Core Essential Values representative. “They were excited to work on a way to provide resources for businesses to display that coincide with the values of the months being taught at the schools,” Janner says.
Nine values are selected each year, distilled to a single word, one for each month of the academic year. The March value word, for example, is patience. Other value words for the 2020-21 school year include responsibility, peace, and kindness. The value words are “the secret sauce,” according to Core Essential Values’ website, which all lead back to what’s called The Big 3: Treat others right, make smart decisions, and maximize your potential. The children can then take those values and apply them to their day-to-day lives.
Businesses do their part by putting up posters that promote the values the children learn in school. Students make the connection between the signage and what they learned in class. When kids see a display about a value that they learned in school, they can start a conversation at home, like, “‘Hey Mom! We learned about kindness today and look! They have the same poster!’” Janner says. The 14 businesses currently participating in the P.E.A.C.E. program also use the resources for their staff, she says.
For an additional fee, Washington County Chamber of Commerce members can participate in the P.E.A.C.E. program, which includes a monthly e-newsletter that highlights the value of the month, flyers, quotes, and ways to implement the resources. For more information, visit brenhamtexas.com.