Values – We tout their importance, we toss out questions like, “What are your top values?” and “What do you value in life?” We place value on money, time, relationships, and character traits, tangible and intangible things alike. It’s no wonder that the concept of values can sometimes be challenging for our students to grasp. So how do we teach our students the importance of common values such as trust, responsibility, perseverance, and honesty? How do we even broach the subject?

Here is a fun way to introduce values to students, while making learning relevant by connecting to their real-world knowledge: Values Billboards. You’ve likely seen these uplifting signs, thanks to the Foundation for a Better Life, as you drive down the highway; a picture of a person or sports scene on the left and a short quote on the right, with a clear value printed in a red box below. The words “Pass it On” encourage you to demonstrate that value as well. Babe Ruth’s face draws you into a billboard which states “From orphanage to hall of fame” with the value “Drive” written below. An image of Whoopi Goldberg supports the statement, “Overcame dyslexia”, emphasizing the value of “hard work”. Not only do these billboards introduce a variety of values to your students, they also share snippets of history and socially relevant topics which just might reassure your students that even the greatest actors, athletes, scientists, etc. had challenges to overcome.

How can you use it? First, go to www.values.com. Click on “Billboards” and scroll through the billboards which have already been designed. You can even search billboards by value if you have a specific one in mind. There are many ways to use this site – here are just a few:

Values Gallery: Pick 10-12 billboards and print them from your computer. Post them around your classroom and have students walk around the room, like an art gallery, evaluating each billboard. Ask students to select one billboard which stood out to them and share why this value and story was significant.

Create Your Own Billboard: Go to “Your Billboards”  where students can create their own billboard. After introducing values to your students, have them think of a person or even which exemplifies a value, and create their own billboard.

Students Empowered: Have your students click on the “students” tab at the top of the website, and explore ways that they can support values education on their campus.

Ideas for You: Click on “Faculty and Administration” to learn how you, as an educator, can incorporate values education across the curriculum.