Friends of AHEF,
We invite you to check out this recently updated article on The Founding Blog:
Studies in the last 20 years show that many Americans of all backgrounds do not possess adequate civic knowledge about our nation’s history, founding ideas, and governing institutions. This widespread deficiency among the general public is a serious problem in a self-governing republic such as ours which relies on an educated citizenry to govern itself. If these trends continue, America will not be able to endure as it was designed by our Founders.
The American Heritage Education Foundation (AHEF) is working to address this growing national educational problem. AHEF is dedicated to promoting the teaching and learning of America’s factual, philosophical heritage, emphasizing themes of freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility. AHEF offers educational resources to help teachers, homeschoolers, schools, and citizens learn and effectively teach about America’s founding documents, principles, and history.
Friends of AHEF –
We invite you to check out this recently updated essay and selected activity posted on The Founding Blog:
The American, Bible-based Defense of Religious Freedom in the First Amendment of the Constitution
The American Founders encouraged religion with a natural-rights, Bible-inspired, and rational approach for a pluralistic society.
The American Defense of Religious Freedom in the First Amendment of the Constitution
The Founding Blog: “The American Revolution: An Introduction”
When the American colonies signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they joined together to become a new nation, beginning a new era in human history. Happy Independence Day!
Check out the article and selected lesson plan on AHEF’s Founding Blog: https://thefounding.net/the-american-revolution/
AHEF members can now freely download selected Miracle of America essays from AHEF’s Founding Blog!
The Miracle of America essays are short readings on various topics on America’s founding history, governance, and philosophy by AHEF President Angela Kamrath based on her research found in The Miracle of America: The Influence of the Bible on the Founding History and Principles of the United States of America for a People of Every Belief. Formatted for print, the essays may be used for educational purposes. Citizens and groups may use them for study and discussion. Teachers and homeschoolers may distribute them for student reading.
These essays are available on the “resources” page of AHEF’s main site, americanheritage.org. Simply sign up as a member (no cost), log in, and go to the “resources” page.
AHEF continues to offer trustworthy, quality resources for citizens, teachers, and students to strengthen their understanding and teaching of America’s founding principles. As the new school year approaches, we wish you much success in your educational goals!
To sign up as an AHEF member (no cost), go to https://americanheritage.org/sign-up/ .
| Dear Friends of AHEF, You and your colleagues are invited to The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s ASHES IN THE SNOW Teacher Workshop (Houston area) Date: Monday, November 25, 2019 Time: 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM (CST) Location: Harris County Department of Education Ronald Reagan Building 6300 Irvington Blvd. Houston, TX 77022 Room 100A-C This half-day professional development workshop will help you develop a better understanding of the ideology, history, and effects of communism in the 20th century. As some today question our nation’s moral, political, and economic underpinnings, your knowledge of communism will help you compare/contrast and defend America’s founding heritage of individual rights, free enterprise, and private property. As American Founder James Madison once said, “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” This workshop will include a curriculum resource for teachers – Communism: Its Ideology, Its History, Its Legacy. It will be followed by a film screening of Ashes in the Snow (the movie adaptation of the bestselling YA novel Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys on the Baltic deportations in WWII) and a Q&A session. Boxed lunches will be provided. Credits: 6 hrs (includes 3 hrs GT credit) Cost: $0.00 (free admission) Please register to attend. REGISTER HERE The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation is a U.S-based non-profit educational organization. The mission of VOC is to educate this generation and future generations about the ideology, history, and legacy of communism. The foundation was established by an Act of Congress to build a memorial in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the more than 100 million victims of communism. This notice is posted by the American Heritage Education Foundation in partnership with The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. |
2019 2nd AHWCCB Finalists (from L to R): For Grove City College, Dr. Jason R. Edwards, Elena Peters, Noah Gould, Carolyn Hartwick; AHEF Co-Founder Jack Kamrath, AHEF President Angela Kamrath; For Abigail Adams Institute, Liam Warner, Finnian Brown, Portia Berry-Kilby, Dr. Danilo Petranovich
AHEF’s Second American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl™ (AHWCCB) held on January 25-26, 2019, at The King’s College of NY in New York City was a great success!
Grove City College defeated The Abigail Adams Institute in the finals in a close match (537-526) to win first place academic recognition along with $4,000 scholarship prizes and copies of AHEF President Angela Kamrath’s book, The Miracle of America!
Student teams from Grove City College, Abigail Adams Institute, Princeton University (James Madison Program in American Ideals & Institutions), and The King’s College of New York competed in the event.
All students received a cash scholarship award of between $1,000-$4,000 according to their order of finish.
The event was sponsored by the American Heritage Education Foundation (AHEF) in Houston, TX. (www.americanheritage.org)
WATCH: 2nd AHWCCB Finals
WATCH: Presentation on AHEF’s History, Founding & Mission
2019 Semi-Finals Essay Topic:
“Since the beginning of human history, most people have lived under some form of authoritarianism. In such regimes, rulership was largely a matter of the elite few ruling over and living off of the unprivileged many. Only during the last few hundred years has the idea of the constitutional accountability of government to the populace as a whole risen to prominence. Discuss the philosophical and historical causes of the ascendancy of this idea, including key events, leaders, and reasoning.”
2019 Finals Essay Topic:
“Discuss the origins, development, and justification of the fundamental American idea that ‘all men are created equal’ (as in the Declaration of Independence).”
AHWCCB Impact & Feedback:
AHWCCB Impact & Feedback: Responses from Participating Professors & Students
For Grove City (L to R): Elena Peters, Carolyn Hartwick, Noah Gould
For Abigail Adams Institute (L to R): Liam Warner, Portia Berry-Kilby, Finnian Brown
For The King’s College (L to R): Abigail Rose-Smith, Michael Napoli, Ellen Rogers
For Princeton (L to R): Alvin Zhang, Nicholas Sileo, Emerson Salovaara
Semi-Finals: Friday, January 25, 2019
5 PM – Grove City College vs Princeton University
7 PM – The King’s College vs Harvard University
Finals: Saturday, January 26, 2019
2 PM – Finalists
Location:
The King’s College, 56 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 (City Room, 5th Floor)
212-659-7200 / 888-969-7200
Academic Curriculum Analyst:
-The National Association of Scholars (NAS)
Moderator:
-Mr. Jeremy Tate, Co-Founder and President of the Classic Learning Test
Academic Teams:
-Grove City College – Coach: Dr. Jason R. Edwards. Student Team: Noah Gould, Carolyn Hartwick, Elena Peters
-Harvard University – Coach: Dr. Danilo Petranovich. Student Team: Portia Berry-Kilby, Finnian Brown, Liam Warner
-Princeton University – Coach: Dr. Russ Nieli. Student Team: Emerson Salovaara, Nicholas Sileo, Alvin Zhang
-The King’s College of New York – Coach: Dr. Josh Kinlaw. Student Team: Michael Napoli, Ellen Rogers, Abigail Rose-Smith
Academic Judges:
-Dr. Stephen Balch, Director of The Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, Texas Tech University; Co-Founder of the National Association of Scholars
-Dr. Robert Koons, Professor of Philosophy and Co-Founder of The Western Civilization and American Institutions Program, The University of Texas at Austin
Hosted by the American Heritage Education Foundation Inc. in partnership with The King’s College of New York.
Related articles/videos:
–AHEF Pioneers Innovative History & Civic Education Initiatives
–American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl – Program Information
–AHWCCB™ Video
–1st American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl (AHWCCB) – 2017
–AHWCCB 2019 Printable Flyer (PDF)
In the news:
–King’s to Host Western Civilization Challenge Bowl with Princeton, Harvard, and Grove City College, The King’s College, Nov 1, 2018
–GCC Tapped for History, Western Civilization Challenge, Grove City College, Jan 18, 2019
–The King’s College to Host Western Civilization Challenge Bowl with the James Madison Program at Princeton, the Abigail Adams Institute at Harvard and Grove City College, RFD TV, Jan 19, 2019
–Grove City College Faces Princeton in History Challenge Bowl, The Business Journal, Jan 22, 2019
–GCC Team Beats Harvard in American History Challenge, Grove City College, Jan 29, 2019
–Grove City College Beats Harvard in American History Challenge, Butler Radio, Jan 30, 2019
For more information about AHWCCB, please visit americanheritage.org.
If you or someone you know would like to sponsor our next challenge bowl, please see our Donate page or contact us at 713.627.2698. Thank you!
Copyright © American Heritage Education Foundation. All rights reserved.
2nd American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl™: Event Info & Essay Topic Announced
The 2nd American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl™ (AHWCCB) will be held on January 25-26, 2019, at The King’s College in New York City! The AHWCCB is an academic college competition and scholarship. Student teams from the Grove City College, Abigail Adams Institute, Princeton University , and The King’s College of New York will compete for academic recognition and scholarship prizes at the 2019 event.
The Semi-Finals Essay Question has been released as follows:
“Since the beginning of human history, most people have lived under some form of authoritarianism. In such regimes, rulership was largely a matter of the elite few ruling over and living off of the unprivileged many. Only during the last few hundred years has the idea of the constitutional accountability of government to the populace as a whole risen to prominence. Discuss the philosophical and historical causes of the ascendancy of this idea, including key events, leaders, and reasoning.”
2019 AHWCCB Schedule:
Semi-Finals: Friday, January 25, 2019
5 PM – Grove City College vs Princeton University
7 PM – The King’s College vs Abigail Adams Institute
Finals: Saturday, January 26, 2019
2 PM – Finalists
Location:
The King’s College, 56 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 (City Room, 5th Floor)
212.659.7200 / 888.969.7200
Scholarship Prizes:
All team members will receive scholarship prizes, according to their order of finish, between $1,000-$4,000.
Free Admission. Please register to attend in person or watch in livestream.
Hosted by the American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc. (Houston, TX) in partnership with The King’s College.
Program Page:
https://americanheritage.org/programs/american-history-western-civilization-challenge-bowl-ahwccb/
Printable PDF flyer:
https://americanheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Invitation-flyer-to-2nd-AHWCCB-2019-1.pdf
The King’s College Article and Student Team Announcement:
https://www.tkc.edu/stories/kings-host-western-civilization-challenge-bowl/
2nd American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl™ will be held on Jan 25-26, 2019, in NYC!
Provost Dr. Mark Hijleh and Development Director Michael Toscano of The King’s College meet with AHEF Co-Founder Jack Kamrath in NYC to plan the 2nd American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl (AHWCCB).
AHEF’s 2nd American History & Western Civilization Challenge Bowl™ (AHWCCB) will be held on Jan. 25-26, 2019, in New York City at The King’s College-NY.
The four competing teams will be students from: Harvard University, Princeton University, Grove City College, and The King’s College of NY.
AHWCCB™ is an academic competition and scholarship for college/university students who compete in their knowledge and understanding of Western Civilization and America’s history and governance, founding principles and philosophy, and civil institutions in order to determine America’s top colleges in educating students in these subjects.
AHEF aims to address the growing deficiency of civic knowledge among Americans as reported in the last 20 years as well as the neglect or de-emphasizing of objective civic education in schools over the last 50 years. AHEF seeks to raise awareness of the importance of civic education and to encourage and incentivize schools, teachers, and students to teach and learn these subjects.
The goals of the AHWCCB™ are:
1) to encourage college programs and students to teach and learn these subjects/principles, the American idea, and what it means to be an American;
2) to ignite excitement, engagement, humor, fun, and youthful appeal in the learning of America’s heritage;
3) to improve understanding, appreciation, and love of the United States of America;
4) to develop informed, patriotic leaders and contributors in American society; and
5) to develop an educated citizenry essential to our self-governing republic.
Each semi-final student team member will receive a $1,000 cash scholarship award. Each finalist student team member will receive a $2,000 cash scholarship award. Each winning student team member will receive a $4,000 cash scholarship award.
For more information about AHWCCB™, please go to: https://americanheritage.org/programs/american-history-western-civilization-challenge-bowl-ahwccb/.
If you would like to get involved and make a donation for this event, please go to:
https://americanheritage.org/donate/
A Salute to Bob McNair
The American Heritage Education Foundation (AHEF) salutes and honors Bob McNair, Houston Texans owner, who passed away on November 23, 2018. Bob and Janice McNair have been instrumental in making possible the work of AHEF (and many other Houston non-profits and charities).
We thank you and your family for your generosity and care for Houston, civic education for all students, and America’s patriotic, Bible-inspired principles. God bless you and your family for all the good you have done for so many, from everyone at AHEF!
In-depth study on America’s Founding Philosophy Now Available to Educators – Free to download!
Dear Teachers and Homeschoolers,
AHEF’s new, in-depth, free unit resource is now available to social studies teachers and homeschoolers, The Miracle of America High School Teacher Course Guide.
This resource complements AHEF’s critically-acclaimed Miracle of America text/reference book and guides educators in teaching on America’s founding principles/philosophy and the Bible’s historical influence on those ideas.
The guide may be used for a semester-long special topics course (eligible for state elective credit) or as supplemental units in existing 8th-12th Social Studies, US Government, or US History courses. The guide can be used with any curriculum and also correlates with C3, AP, IB, CC, NCSS, and TEKS objectives. It is supplemental and elective and so does not require (public) school board approval.
The comprehensive guide units may be purchased in a printed tabbed binder or freely downloaded in PDF. Sign up or log in as a member on this site (americanheritage.org) to access the PDFs. Go to AHEF bookstore to purchase the printed guide.
For more information, please go to americanheritage.org/programs/miracle-of-america/.
Best,
AHEF Team
