Crew chief's story - Russell t. williams
Mr. Williams, a native Californian, is a graduate of the University of Southern California, earning a bachelor’s degree of the Arts in 1968. He completed a master’s degree in Education from California State University in Los Angeles while teaching the educationally handicapped in South El Monte, California from 1970-1973. In the mid-1970’s, he experienced two years of post-graduate education in theological studies before beginning a twenty-three year professional career in church ministry in 1973.
A life skills educator and minister for twenty-eight years, Mr. Williams brings a rich professional background in public speaking, teaching and spiritual life discovery to the seven Passkeys life values that guide the foundation’s programs. Those life values are: personal responsibility, positive self-worth, purpose, plan, paying the price, partnership and persistence.
Mr. Williams is the founder and president of Passkeys Foundation, a publicly supported foundation he created in 1979. The foundation is a 501(c) (3); 509(a)(1) non-profit organization.
Since 1996, under Mr. Williams’ full-time leadership, Passkeys Foundation has developed innovative values and character education programs for children, youth, and adults and the business community. The programs include: the Kids of Character educational program for elementary school children; the national Laws of Life Essay Contest for high school students; the innovative Mentoring For Character program engaging high school students interacting with elementary students in the classroom to present character themes; the Ethics In America Awards program honoring business and professional leaders; Outstanding Character Educators of Orange County; The Finish Line, Parenting To Build Kids of Character and BridgeBuilders Contemporary Grandparenting to Build Character and Citizenship in Future Generations.
Mr. Williams writes a weekly character education article for three community newspaper in the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, Boston, Massachusetts and Colfax, Washington and one on-line column for the Albuquerque Tribune, New Mexico. Additionally, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Orange County Department of Education’s Character Education Institute (ICE) and is a member of the Board of Managers for the Saddleback Valley YMCA.
In 1999, Passkeys Foundation acquired through merger the Jefferson Center for Character Education, a non-profit organization founded in 1967. The Center was the pioneering organization in America in developing character education curricula with its STAR Responsibility Skills programs for elementary and middle schools. Frank Goble, the founder of the Jefferson Center, was a mentor and friend of Mr. Williams for over twenty-five years. During the last sixteen year over 6,000,000 children in 6000 classrooms nationally have experienced the STAR curricula.
Passkeys Foundation Jefferson Center for Character Education is a member of the national CHARACTER COUNTS!sm Coalition and the Character Education Partnership.
