Focusing on the goal of character education, this book provides the Catholic educational community with a resource for building in students a strong sense of self, including self-identity, self-worth, and self-esteem. Four pillars of self-esteem are presented: security, autonomy, initiative, and industry. These pillars are illustrated with information on symptoms of insecurity, shame, guilt, and inferiority. Illustrations of practices educators can use to assist students in developing self-esteem are grouped under four age categories: (1) early childhood; (2) middle childhood; (3) early adolescents; and (4) administrative. Finally, strategies for using this resource as an in-service program are presented. The book's six chapters are: (1) "Understanding Student Identity Formation and the Self-Esteem Connection"; (2) "Fostering Student Security Formation"; (3) "Fostering Student Autonomy Formation"; (4) "Fostering Student Initiative Formation"; (5) "Fostering Student Industry Formation"; and (6) "Being a Catalyst of Love for Catholic Elementary School Students." The book's appendix details basic plans for implementing school staff inservice workshops. (Contains 22 references.) (SD)