Ethics + High School Students: A Successful Partnership between The Rutland Institute for Ethics and Junior Achievement of Upstate SC

What would happen if you asked high school students to write about medical questions they had never before discussed, which had no wrong answers, but were judged on the quality and process of their defense for their position?  If you’re lucky, you wind up with a fascinating and animated intergenerational experience.

Surely no one could disagree with authors Teddi Fishman and Lorilei Swanson in their guidebook, Teachable Moments:

Helping young people develop the ability to make sound ethical decisions and instilling

in them the courage and resilience necessary to make difficult choices is a challenge so

great that it requires a sustained, collaborative effort that involves families, schools, and communities.

The mission of Junior Achievement of Upstate SC is “to empower young people to own their economic success.”  The mission of the Rutland Institute for Ethics is “to encourage discussion on [the Clemson] campus, in businesses and in the community about how ethical decision-making can be the basis of both personal and professional success.”  Sharing the belief that ethical decision-making plays an important role in the ability of young people to make sound academic, economic, and personal choices,  the leaders of both organizations pooled their human resources and expertise to create the inaugural JA Ethics Program, bringing together Spartanburg high school students, educators, community leaders, and volunteers for a terrific afternoon of listening, learning, and lunch (very important when you’re working with high school students!).

“Our students were amazing.” 

“Great topics, smart articulate students!” 

“Keynote speaker was great with real-life examples.”

“We had a very passionate group.”   

“The discussions were the best part.”

“This was a privilege.  Thank you.”

These comments flowed after the JA Ethics Luncheon roundtable discussions involving students and adults.  For several weeks prior to the luncheon, students from seven Spartanburg County high schools had worked on essays addressing one of three healthcare issues:  Should vaccination for HPV be mandatory?  What factors should determine who is chosen for organ transplants?  Is the procedure of using embryonic stem cells to repair organ or nerve damage ethically justifiable? The essays went through an initial screening before being submitted to a panel of five judges, who selected the top essay in each category based on rubric criteria:  clear identification of the issue, systematic analysis of the problem, and justification for their conclusion.  The winning essayists, their parents, selected essay writers at each school, their teachers and principals, and community leaders from many fields then came to the USC Upstate campus for lunch. 

At each table were four students from different schools, an educator, a facilitator, and two other adults from the medical or business communities. Dr. Tom Moore, Chancellor of USC Upstate, welcomed everyone to his campus. After the keynote speech on real-life issues in health care presented with humor and insight by Bruce Holstien, CEO of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, the facilitators organized discussions on each topic.  The experience was empowering and reinforcing for the students.  The professionals were impressed with the thoughtful analysis and decision-making abilities of the students.  The venue provided an opportunity for students to acquire a taste of life on a college campus.  And all of us came away with a better appreciation that ethics is not a “topic” – it’s an integral and daily component of a successful life.



USC Upstate Chancellor Dr. Tom Moore is delighted to host Spartanburg students on his campus.




Chairing the judging committee and applauding the winning essays is Dr. Dan Wueste, Director, The Rutland Institute for Ethics.



Two of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies are headquartered in Spartanburg:  Milliken and JM Smith.  Debra Clements, V-P and General Counsel for Milliken introduces the keynote speaker.  Jimmy Wilson, CFO at the JM Smith Foundation, clearly enjoys this unique opportunity to further students’ awareness of how ethics affects the workplace.



Keynote speaker, Bruce Holstien, CEO, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, provides intriguing examples of medical ethics that he has coped with in his career.



The engagement of the students in the roundtable discussions is often intense and always articulate.



Thanks to the JA Titan Committee, from left:  Linda Gallicchio, Rutland Institute for Ethics; Carrie Dupree, The College Hub; Judy Hodges, SHRM; Tammy Harrison, TD Bank; Lisa Lanz, Costco; Susan Spencer, JA of Upstate SC.