Deloitte & Touche upped the ante on Tuesday when the Big Four firm's chief executive, James E. Copeland, Jr., announced to a Boston audience that the city would be one of 20 across the country to pilot the new Junior Achievement Program "Excellence Through Ethics" that will roll out nationally in the fall.

At a speech on behalf of Northeastern University's CEO breakfast forum series, Copeland stated that Deloitte & Touche has committed $1 million to the Junior Achievement project, is one of Junior Achievement's top ten corporate volunteers, and provides the educational organization with more volunteer teachers than any other professional services firm.

Copeland said that senior management, audit committees, and investors should support initiatives such as improved fraud detection and increased education to rebuild faith in the U.S. financial system.

The new ethics program will reach more than three million elementary, middle and high school students nationwide. The curriculum is being developed by Junior Achievement's Education Team. When the final curriculum comes out in the fall, the lessons will be woven into all 13 of the Junior Achievement programs that reach students in grades 4-12.

Copeland concluded that education will provide the foundation for ushering in the most important changes, beginning with education of investors, educators themselves and the press, while helping the complete financial value chain to understand and value the role of auditors.