“Our mission is to educate Americans, especially those in schools, about the principles on which our nation was founded, about the documents created that declare those principles, about the institutions necessary to fulfill them, and that they were established to protect the rights and freedoms we enjoy in perpetuity.”
— Freedom Civics
“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union . . . ” One of the best places to learn and celebrate our American Heritage is Freedom Civics. These friends are patriots who love our country and who aim to educate future generations about our perennial American principles. Such efforts are how nations survive and prosper. Freedom Civics is composed of teachers and historians witnessing the lack of fundamental civics understanding, and they aim to fill the gaps and do their part to “form a more perfect Union.” As we commemorate the milestone of our 250th Anniversary and look to the future, it is refreshing to honor and reconnect with our political ancestors who fueled such a remarkable celebration many years earlier. Inculcating the next generation is a crucial element to future celebrations.
The Foundations of American Government
Freedom Civics is an educational initiative of the Freedom Education Foundation dedicated to helping students and adults better understand the founding principles, constitutional structure, and history of the United States. The foundation was established by teachers, historians, and civic-minded leaders who believed that many Americans were leaving school without a sufficient understanding of the nation’s government and Founding Documents.
In response, the organization spent several years developing Freedom Civics: Foundations of American Government, a comprehensive civics curriculum designed to provide students with a stronger foundation in American government. The Freedom Education Foundation describes itself as a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating Americans about freedom, free enterprise, and the principles underlying the creation of the United States. Through FreedomCivics, the organization seeks to equip citizens with the knowledge necessary to understand their rights, responsibilities, and important role in preserving representative government.
The description of the course states: “It incorporates the foundations of American government, natural law, consent of the governed, the rule of law, virtue and free enterprise. . . . One of the sessions, ‘Protecting the Constitution,’ describes the duties of citizenship and how informed voters are essential to protect our Constitutional rights. There are dozens of thoughtful discussion questions, activities, resources, quizzes and a final exam.” Our friend Craig Ryne of Washington State (pictured on the right), is the primary author of this course, and he rightly deserves to be lauded.
Endorsements from Scholars
Consider what top scholars and thinkers say about the Freedom Civics curriculum:
• Bruce K. Chapman, Founder of the Discovery Institute, a former U.S. ambassador, and Director of the U.S. Census, states: “The Freedom Civics course will help motivate a new generation to take a positive, active role in public life.”
• Richard B. Sanders, Esq, a former Washington State Supreme Court Justice, praises them: “The Freedom Civics course tells us the magic of America through our Founding Documents. The Declaration of Independence tells us the purpose of government is to protect our rights. The Constitution tells us how best to get it done. Our rights are not to be auctioned to a popular majority but protected by a vigilant judiciary. In America the individual is king, and none other.”
• David Randall, Director of Research National Association of Scholars, says: “We really like the fact that your civics course has 20 sessions and that it is ‘turn-key.’ We will do all we can to help you get it into schools across America.”
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Highlights of the Curriculum
At the heart of Freedom Civics is the conviction that effective citizenship requires an understanding of the principles and documents upon which American government was established. Its signature program is a 20-session course suitable for high school and college students as well as adults. Particular attention is given to four foundational documents: the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Northwest Ordinance, and United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments.
Students examine concepts such as natural rights, individual liberty, equality, limited government, constitutional government, and the rule of law. Rather than treating America’s founding principles simply as historical facts to memorize, FreedomCivics encourages students to understand why those principles were developed and how they continue to influence the rights and responsibilities of Americans today.
One of the key highlights of Freedom Civics is the depth of the educational material it provides. The curriculum includes student and teacher workbooks, colonial and Revolutionary War history, the complete texts of important Founding Documents, 123 discussion questions, eight activities, three quizzes, and a final examination. The organization says the curriculum is designed to complement traditional history textbooks by concentrating specifically on the structure and principles of federal government.
It also addresses difficult chapters of American history, including slavery and the treatment of Native Americans, while emphasizing the constitutional mechanisms through which Americans have worked to correct injustices. This combination of historical study, primary documents, classroom discussion, and constitutional analysis is intended to give students both knowledge of America’s past and an appreciation for their responsibilities as citizens.
A More Perfect Union
Freedom Civics also seeks to expand civics education beyond a single classroom or type of school. The Freedom Education Foundation states that it wants its curriculum to be available to public schools, private schools, homeschool families, colleges, parents, grandparents, and individual adult learners. The organization also advocates standalone civics instruction and encourages states to give greater attention to the teaching of American government and constitutional principles.
Ultimately, Freedom Civics represents an effort to renew civic knowledge by returning attention to the documents, ideas, and institutions at the foundation of American self-government. Its mission rests on the belief that liberty cannot be taken for granted and that citizens are better prepared to protect their rights when they understand how their government was designed to function.
By teaching the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, free enterprise, individual rights, equality, and limited government, Freedom Civics seeks to prepare students not merely to pass a test but to become knowledgeable and engaged American citizens. Its emphasis on primary documents gives students an opportunity to examine the nation’s founding principles directly and consider how those principles have been applied and expanded throughout American history.
Through education, discussion, and civic engagement, Freedom Civics seeks to pass an understanding of America’s constitutional heritage from one generation to the next and encourage citizens to take an active role in preserving liberty and responsible self-government. As they share: “Together, we can save the youth from misinformation and guide them back to the original values that have made this country the land of the free.” And to that, we praise them, and proudly raise our USA flags.
You can follow and support Freedom Civics by visiting their Facebook page.