What happens when you take one of the top 50 songs in this history of pop music (according Billboard Magazine's list of All-Time Top Songs)---OneRepublic's 'Apologize'---give it new lyrics that teach about the Declaration of Independence, and create a video of the Founding Fathers singing it? You get a viral YouTube hit that is being shown in classrooms across America. Enjoy.
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Last month we introduced you to JFI’s new President and CEO, Dr. Lucian Spataro. This month we sat down to interview him about his background, his excitement about his new role, and about the future of the Joe Foss Institute.
TB: (The Beacon): Tell us about why you are excited about your new role at JFI.
LS: Big picture, I'm convinced that JFI is well-positioned to make a difference in the lives of students—and ultimately in the life of our nation as a whole, as these students become leaders down the road.
There is such an emphasis in our educational system today on science, technology, engineering, and math—often referred to in educational circles as STEM)—that civic education has really fallen by the wayside.
For example, an arm of the U.S. Department of Education reported last year that fewer than 35% of fourth graders understand the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. Yet our founding fathers talked often
Are you looking for a way to earn money for college while at the same time sharing just why you feel that America is such a great country?
Well, we are proud to offer such an opportunity through our first ever Joe Foss Institute Video Scholarship Contest!
Our mission is to inspire young Americans to patriotic public service, and to educate students about values like patriotism, integrity, public service and what it means to be a citizen who defends and upholds these values.
Through our video contest, students all over the country will be able to share their thoughts on what it means to be an American and just why the values that we hold as a country are worth defending.
If you want to learn more about our video scholarship contest and what you can do for a chance to win the grand prize, read on.
This story was passed on to us by one of our Veteran Volunteers:
I came back home from Kuwait in late 2002 alone, and spent the night in Baltimore before flying back home to Tucson the following day.
I arrived at the hotel mid-afternoon and after beginning to unwind after a walk, showered and dressed for a nice, all-American dinner of steak and potatoes with all the fixings. I sat at a small table in the corner of the restaurant reading a book when my server approached me about halfway through my meal. He told me that my dinner and drinks had been paid for by an older couple sitting across the dining room. I arose and walked over to them to thank them and they invited me to finish my dinner as their guests.
After the server settled me at their table and I thanked them for their generosity, the gentleman told me this story. It was obvious, he said that I was in the military and he wanted to thank me in his own way, as well as paying a long-standing debt.
This man was a WW II veteran, and after returning home from Europe in 1945,
The late comedian Red Skelton was one of America's most beloved entertainers from the late 1930's through the early 1970's. In 1969, in a rare moment of seriousness on the air, he recited the "The Pledge of Allegiance," in an unforgettable way, on his television show. The words are below.
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I: Me, an individual, a committee of one.
PLEDGE: Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.
ALLEGIANCE: My love and my devotion.
TO THE FLAG: Our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job.
This school assembly idea comes from the Joe Foss Institute as part of our mission to promote the values of Patriotism, Civic Responsibility, Integrity, and America’s Freedoms. Children are going to inherit this country, and we believe that passing on an understanding of our shared values is crucial to making sure America maintains its leadership role in the world.
We are getting into the time of year when students are eagerly looking forward to their winter breaks, and they are getting a little restless in the classroom. A fun way to pull their interest back in to the classroom and schooling is with a school assembly. As we are all thinking of Thanksgiving and the Holidays, it is a good time to also bring up those American values of freedom, liberty, civic duty, and patriotism.
Welcome back to school! Below are links to some great lesson plan resources.
At the Joe Foss Institute, one of our goals is to help educate our young people about patriotism, public service, and America’s freedoms. We do this in two ways: (1) by bringing veterans into classrooms all around the country to interact with teachers and their students; and (2) by providing tools to help our nation's wonderful teachers as they work with students in the classroom.
Soon, through a partnership that will be announced formally on 9/11, we will be offering a series of free lesson plans, teaching resources, and more to any interested teacher.
For now, we would like to list several Web sites that offer history and civics teaching tools:
In the coming months, we will be introducing a number of tools to help teachers educate their students about patriotism, civic knowledge, and public service. And of course, if you are a teacher, and would like to have one of our trained veterans visit with your class to make a presentation that covers each of these areas, please request a presentation today.
The purpose of this blog is to help promote and teach patriotism, public service, integrity, and an appreciation for America’s freedoms. The blog will contain useful information for anybody interested in our work—whether that’s a military veteran looking for volunteer opportunities, teachers looking for resources to share with their students, or students interested in scholarship opportunities or in learning about America's freedoms.
