Woodinville, Wash. – April 28, 2003 – The PoliteChild, Inc. today announced that it is now offering assistance to public schools and other not-for-profit organizations that are seeking funding for programs under the “No Child Left Behind” Act.

“We have long recognized that the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act mandates many admirable objectives and noble goals related to students’ academic achievement,” said PoliteChild Founder and President, Corinne Gregory. “We are also well aware of the important link between students’ overall social competence and their academic success. Good social skills and the underlying character traits such as respect, honesty, and cooperation are critical factors in determining whether students are adequately prepared to learn in a classroom environment. Yet, ‘No Child Left Behind’ doesn’t actually suggest any solutions to the widely-recognized problem of ill-mannered students that exists in our educational system. The PoliteChild can assist schools in addressing this critical social component as a part of their NCLB compliance and funding efforts.”

As part of its growing initiatives to support schools, students, and their families, The PoliteChild is rolling out a new service designed to help schools seeking funding for programs focused on social skills and character development. There is a substantial opportunity to incorporate such programs as part of the grant funding available through the “No Child Left Behind” Act. The PoliteChild can assist schools in fitting program offerings such as its SocialSmarts™ and Exploring the Virtues courses which provide social skills development for children of all ages.

“We are particularly attuned to the urgency of dealing with the behavior problems we find among our school-age children, “stated Ms. Gregory. “The report released just this week, ‘Where Are We Now?’ by Public Agenda, about the serious concerns parents and educators have about the lack of decent behavior in our schools underscores the need to increase the level of assistance available to those schools and organizations that are trying to improve the learning environment. It’s no surprise that academic achievement is failing to meet designated standard levels when more than 40% of teachers spend more time trying to keep order in their classrooms than they are on teaching.”

Schools or other educational organizations interested in learning more about the service can do so by contacting The PoliteChild directly or by visiting its Resources Page on the www.politechild.com website. More information about how its comprehensive set of courses can aid in improving students’ socials skills, manners, and overall character development is also available through the company website.

About The PoliteChild, Inc. The PoliteChild is the premier program dedicated to developing excellent social skills in children of all ages — from toddlers to teens — by building solid foundations for learning and using proper social behavior, good manners, and etiquette. The goal of The PoliteChild is to help parents, educators, and others develop young people that have strong self-esteem and confidence, and are socially comfortable and proficient in handling a myriad of social interactions and situations. For more about The PoliteChild, visit the website at www.politechild.com.

About The No Child Left Behind Act. For more information on the No Child Left Behind Act, please see the official U.S. Government web site at www.nclb.org.

Copyright © 2003 The PoliteChild Inc. All rights reserved.

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