Ashbrook Center Celebrates Independence Day with Launch New Campaign, “Freedom. For the Next 250.”
Ashland, OH – July 4, 2024 – As America celebrates its 248th Independence Day, the Ashbrook Center proudly announces the launch of its ambitious 2-year, $20 million fundraising campaign, “Freedom. For the Next 250.” This initiative invites all Americans to join Ashbrook in raising the bar for civic education so that America’s next 250 years are as free and prosperous as the last 250.
Independence Day is a time for reflection on the principles that have made America a beacon of freedom and opportunity. Amidst fireworks and festivities, the Ashbrook Center is dedicated to addressing an urgent need: the civic education of our youth.
“Our Founders created a wonderful system of government that has enabled more freedom and prosperity than the world has ever known. But self-government is fragile and depends on informed patriots to preserve it,” said Jeff Sikkenga Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center. “Through this campaign, we aim to raise the funds necessary to equip the next generation of responsible citizens who will shape our nation’s destiny. Our goal is to bring Ashbrook to every student in America”
Campaign Highlights
The campaign includes a 50% increase in Ashbrook’s outstanding programs for students, teachers, and citizens, as well as the launch of three new major national initiatives:
Blueprint for American History and Civic Education: Ashbrook will create a comprehensive guide for the study of American history and civics. This guide will be made available to parents, educators, and decision-makers around the country.
Digital Atlas: Ashbrook will produce a Digital Atlas to supplement or replace textbooks. This interactive online collection will be shared with American history and civics teachers in every school district across the country.
Ashbrook School of Civic Education: Ashbrook will establish an Ashbrook School of Civic Education to cultivate an elite corps of American history and civics teachers. This undergraduate program can become a model for the country to reach millions of students.
How to Get Involved
All Americans are invited to participate in Ashbrook’s “Freedom” campaign:
Financial Support: Give generously to support our national outreach. Thanks to generous supporters, every dollar donated will be matched up to $5 million, doubling the impact of each contribution.
Event Participation: Attend upcoming events to sharpen your own civic knowledge and learn more about the campaign. More information at Ashbrook.org/events.
Spread the Word: Share campaign updates and educational content on social media to raise awareness of the importance of civic education.
For more information about the “Freedom. For the Next 250.” campaign and how you can help secure the promise of America for generations to come, visit freedom250.org.
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About the Ashbrook Center: The mission of the Ashbrook Center is to strengthen constitutional self-government by educating our fellow Americans—students, teachers, and citizens—in the history and Founding principles of our country and the habits of reflection and choice necessary to perpetuate our republic.