CEDAR FALLS -- Clark Goltz believes Uyntha Duncan is a TRRFCC (terrific) person of character -- that is she is trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring and a good citizen.

These six traits are the key pillars of Character Counts, a program designed to promote civility through character development. The program was introduced in the Cedar Falls schools this year thanks to a $7,000 donation from the Duncan Family Foundation. Now, the state is honoring Duncan for her commitment to character education. She recently was named the 2006 Iowa Citizen of Character by the Institute for Character Development. Goltz, director of elementary education in Cedar Falls, was the driving force behind Duncan's nomination.

"I have been in the schools and it is working so beautifully. … I am seeing it used, and I am using it myself," she said. "The program is a wonderful way to help children make good choices and help them think about the decisions they make so they are made with integrity, fairness and responsibility."

The Cedar Falls district used the money, which was a portion of the proceeds collected during the annual Don Duncan Memorial Golf Tournament, to send teams from every elementary school to Des Moines for Character Counts training and to purchase supplemental materials for the schools. Duncan also volunteers at Cunningham in Waterloo and has helped with the Character Counts program there. The golf tournament was named for Duncan's late husband, a longtime manager of tractor production at the John Deere Waterloo Works.

"This program provides a common language for our students, parents and faculty about character development," said Goltz. "It's a common framework from which we can talk about certain things. Without her help, we could never have implemented this in our district. … This is only our first year of implementation, but they saw what she was doing for our district."

Another Northeast Iowa community also was honored for its commitment to Character Counts. New Hampton was named the 2006 Community of Character.

Linda Kennedy, the school district's curriculum director and chairwoman of the New Hampton Community Task Force, said New Hampton residents have proven their dedication to Character Counts since introducing the program in 1998.

Since its inception, the task force has grown to more than 50 members who plan projects for students, parents, business owners and community members to raise awareness about the pillars of character.

"We are not only teaching our students to have the cognitive understandings of these pillars, but making them mindful of it and reminding them throughout the community," she said. "If you want to have a successful Character Counts program in the community, you can't just teach it in the school."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1520 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.