ATLANTA, April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series today announced it will host a program on the Congressional Medal of Honor Character Development Program on Friday, April 25, 2014. The program will be held at The Arthur M. Blank Family Office in Atlanta.

The Blank Family Foundation has awarded a three-year, $350,000 grant to the Medal of Honor Foundation to deliver the Character Development Program, with the support of the Georgia State Board of Education, to more than 140,000 Georgia middle and high school students annually.

The Speaker Series program, "Lessons of Personal Bravery and Self-Sacrifice: The Medal of Honor Character Development Program," will feature Ronald T. Rand, President & CEO of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, and Harold A. Fritz, President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and a Medal of Honor recipient.

The event is by invitation only. Seating at the event is limited, and individuals interested in attending should contact Lea Bond (LBond@Falcons.NFL.com) to determine availability.

The Georgia State Board of Education has endorsed and strongly supports the Character Development Program. Partnering with the Georgia Department of Education, the Medal of Honor Foundation will train nearly 1,000 teachers across the state's 16 Regional Educational Services Agencies. When possible, a Medal of Honor recipient will attend the training sessions.

The Georgia National Guard has raised $126,000 to assist in distribution of the Character Development Program curriculum in the state of Georgia. In addition, Lockheed Martin and the GE Foundation are providing national funding for operations, production of training materials and other resources that help the Medal of Honor Foundation deliver the program in Georgia and other states.

About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series:
By convening individuals around issues, innovations and ideas that will shape the quality of life for families in Atlanta and beyond, the Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series aspires to spur civic action and citizen involvement for positive change in people's lives. Learn more at http://blankfoundation.org/speaker-series.

About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation:
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation promotes positive change in peoples' lives, builds, and enhances the communities in which they live. The Foundation seeks innovative solutions that enable young people, families, and communities to achieve results beyond what seems possible today. Formed in 1995, the Foundation invests in early childhood development, education, greenspace, and the arts, and leads giving programs for each of the Blank Family of Businesses, including the Atlanta Falcons. Learn more at www.blankfoundation.org.

About The Medal of Honor Character Development Program:
The Medal of Honor Character Development Program is a teaching resource designed by teachers to provide students with opportunities to explore the important concepts of Courage, Commitment, Sacrifice, Patriotism, Integrity, and Citizenship.

While drawn from the personal accounts of our living Medal of Honor recipients, this collection of lesson plans does not glorify or glamorize war. On the contrary, these "living histories" and the accompanying instructional activities encourage students to consider courage from their own perspectives.

As the flagship education initiative of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, the Character Development Program is the legacy of the Medal of Honor recipients, who view the program as the way they can inspire the youth of America to be great citizens of their communities, their country, and the world.

Visit us at www.cmohedu.org

About The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation:
The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation was founded by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to perpetuate the legacy of the Medal of Honor. The Foundation is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit with Tax ID #25-1828488. Its role through the legacy of the Medal of Honor, and the example of the recipients, is to inspire successive generations of Americans to commit to the ideals of courage, sacrifice and patriotism – in a lifetime of service above self to family, to community and to our Nation. There are no better ambassadors to take this message to the American people than the Medal of Honor recipients themselves who embody these values through their incredible acts of bravery.

Visit us at www.cmohfoundation.org

SOURCE The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation