The History Of The National Character Education Foundation
"How It All Began"

The concept of the National Character Education Foundation (NCEF) began in 1996 with founder and CEO, David L. Rettig, and his involvement with Operation Blessing International (OBI), the 1996 National Football League's Super Bowl Host Committee.  That year David piloted and directed sports clinics, school assembly programs, and personal classroom visitations for the Super Bowl host committee-sanctioned event entitled the "Supper Bowl."

The Supper Bowl is a humanitarian program designed to help disenfranchised families who live in the Super Bowl host city by providing medical services, meals, educational and sports programs.

A major component of the program was to organize professional athletes from various sports to effectively address youth's difficult issues and to promote positive character qualities within the Super Bowl host city's public school system.  The need and demand for the program became evident immediately when 45 school assembly programs were conducted over a brief two-day period in Tampa, Florida.

The program's approach of conveying a message of positive character through using people and images that are widely accepted by today's youth was astounding.  The demand for the program from local schools was more than we could provide.

This prompted the development and incorporation of the National Character Education Foundation in February 2003.  The NCEF became part of the National Heritage Foundation for the purposes of accountability and the opportunity to utilize their 501(C)(3) status.  In June 2004, the NCEF received their own organizational 501(C)(3) status, and today is recognized by the Internal Revenue Services as authorized 501(C)(3) non-profit organization.

Since its inception in 2003, the NCEF All-Pro Action Team has educated and inspired over 750,000 students from grades K-12 throughout 200 school districts across the United States.  The passion and vision to promote the benefits of good character to students, parents, and the community continues to grow.  The NCEF looks forward to new, creative, and relevant methods to influence our future generation on becoming educated and respectful citizens.