6 1 F R E E D O M S F O U N D AT I O N5

SPIRITSUMMER 2017

From the smallest community of a few peo-ple, to the largest community of nations, there are values that lift us up, shore up our rights, and keep us free. If we wish for our American values to pervade through the next generations, then individual citizens and organizations must take an active role in perpetuating those values through ex-perience and education.

When Freedoms Foundation was formed in 1949, the time was post-WWII, and the experience of the threats to America and its allies was too close and painful for our citizens to forget. Its mission was to ensure that American values, so evident during and following the war, stayed strong and resilient in times of peace, as well as con-flict, for generations to come. We have learned that major events, no matter how devastating, will become accounts for the history books and not the collective mem-ory of a living generation. Even the horrific events of September 11, 2001 recalled by so many of us are now just historical ac-counts instead of memories for a whole generation of Americans.

For almost 70 years, Freedoms Foundation has worked to teach the connection be-

tween the values of responsible citizen-ship—respect, accountability, participa-tion, productivity, and generosity—and freedom. This connection is taught through historical examples from the founding of our nation, leadership and public policy exercises, and character – courage, sac-rifice, integrity, and commitment – values exemplified by the Medal of Honor Soci-ety.

What the founders of Freedoms Founda-tion recognized then is still as true today—what is not taught can be lost. Our goal is to teach that there is a connection be-tween American values and freedom—and it’s a personal one.

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Freedoms Foundation at Valley ForgeP.O. Box 67Valley Forge, PA 19481-0067

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“I saw the Liberty Bell for the first time; I never thought I’d see the Liberty Bell” are the words of one Mary Ball Wash-ington Chapter sponsored students re-flecting on her trip to Philadelphia and the Spirit of America Youth Leadership Program on our Valley Forge campus. These same words have stuck with Lou-ise Savarese, National Volunteer Liai-son, and now one of her favorite stories to tell when sharing the mission and work of Freedoms Foundation.

The opportunities our educational pro-grams offer, very often are made possi-ble because of the volunteer chapters around the country. Since the begin-ning of 2017 our chapters have ac-complished so much, the impact is in the numbers and they speak for them-selves:

• 316 high school students sponsored to attend Spirit of America Youth Leadership Programs to learn about our founding documents, free enter-prise system, while exploring leader-ship and character development and preparing them for the next chapter as young adults.

• Nearly 150 award recipients nomi-nated for the George Washington Honor Medal for the positive impact their actions have on their commu-nities and ultimately our society.

• 16 award ceremonies held across the country to celebrate these acts of civic virtue and spread the mes-sage of engaged citizenship and how helping one person can inspire so many others.

These numbers do not include the many efforts of our chapters to impact their communities in meaningful and unmeasurable ways.

• The Boyce Ann Bryant Change = Change Scholarship program run by the Broward County Chapter which raises money for two college schol-arships for local students.

• The San Diego Chapter sponsoring the Flag Day Celebration at the USS Midway Museum where different sponsored students have been guest speakers sharing their experiences at Spirit of America.

• Enabling students to experience fly-ing for the first time and for those brave enough, to attend on their own, a weekend long program away from home

• The awardees getting emotion-al when being recognized by our chapters because of their hard work in the community or the impact high-lighting acts of civic virtue can have on inspiring others to get involved.

• The veterans honored by the Great-er Cincinnati Chapter every year on Veteran’s Day

• The Pensacola Chapter’s annual MIA/POW luncheon.

• The additional education opportu-nities chapters offer whether it’s a guest speaker at a meeting, event, teacher program, or a student forum like those in the Los Angeles County Chapter, the Oklahoma City Chap-ter, the Dallas Area Chapter, and the Sacramento Chapter just to name a few.

These numbers are merely a repre-sentation of the dedication, passion, and determination all of our volunteer chapters possess and they only give a glimpse into the commitment of our volunteers and the leadership they demonstrate in their cities and towns.

Inspired by her par-ticipation in the 2016 Graduate Teacher Pro-gram: Medal of Honor Legacy, Broward Coun-ty Chapter member Dorothy McLeod set out on a mission to in-corporate the Medal of Honor Foundation’s Character Develop-ment Program training into her classroom. As a teacher at Nova Middle School in the Broward County School District of Ft. Lau-derdale, FL, Dorothy knew the exact an-swer: use challenge coins for students that go above and beyond by showing good character. Working alongside Dorothy to make this happen were two colleagues who shared their interest and support: Ms. Evelyn Joy Mair and Mr. Daryl Baker and thus the Titan Achievement Coin was born.

A challenge coin is a token representing a group, unit, or individual’s symbols or state-ments of pride, cohesion, or mission. The goal of the challenge coin at Nova Mid-dle was to incorporate the Medal of Hon-or Foundation’s training of the six pillars of character (courage, integrity, sacrifice, commitment, citizenship, and patriotism) to set examples for students.

After expressing her gratitude to the Free-doms Foundation’s National Board of Di-rectors at the National Volunteer Chapter Conference for the opportunity to attend one of our graduate-level programs, a Board Member was motivated to make a generous donation to help the Nova Mid-dle’s Titan Achievement Coin become a reality. Tying what she learned from the Character Development Training and the school’s ‘Kid of Character’ program that the Broward County Schools have, Dorothy and her fellow educators are not only rec-ognizing students whose character shines, but also those students whom have made the biggest strides and improvements throughout the year.

As they prepare for the 2017-2018 school year, the Nova Middle community is proud to have not only their own, unique chal-lenge coin, but also tying great programs together that challenges students to de-velop the Medal of Honor Foundation’s six pillars of character.

SPOTLIGHTCitizenship

newsletter

FREEDOMSCONNECTING AMERICAN VALUES AND

CONTENTS

FEATURES

Cover Article ................................1

Presidents Message ....................2

In Memoriam ...............................4

Focus on Citizenship ...................5

EDUCATE

Teacher Programs .......................3

Student Programs ........................4

HONOR

Medal of Honor Grove ...............4

Awards Programs ........................2

CHALLENGE

Annual Fundraising Event ...........2

Volunteer Chapters .....................5

Supporting Our Mission ...............6

Our MissionWe educate about American rights and responsibilities, honor acts of civic virtue,

and challenge all to reject apathy and get involved.

Volunteers Making an Impact

CHALLENGE

Challenge Accepted

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

US POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 168 SOUTHEASTERN, PA

19399

Supporting Our Mission is Easier than You Think!Participate in AmazonSmile The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases of-fered on Amazon to Freedoms Founda-tion at Valley Forge if we are designated as your charitable organization…at no additional cost to you! To participate, go online to smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com next time you shop online and designate us as your charity. Since May, all participating charities have re-ceived $54,510,000 from AmazonSmile.

Planned GivingWhen developing your estate plan, please consider a bequest to Freedoms

Foundation. Your bequest will support the continued reinforcement of Amer-ican rights and responsibilities through the development and delivery of edu-cational programs on citizenship and character.

Promote History Encounters at Your School History Encounters is our education trav-el program that takes school groups to locations where the founding of our country occurred. Students come away understanding American values in the context of our history and the impact or-dinary citizens can have.

Donate to Fund Our Programs and Scholarships Whether you contribute from your own

resources or hold fundraisers, every dol-lar we receive goes toward enabling us to operate and build educational pro-grams for both students and teachers. Use our easy online DONATE link to con-tribute, or mail your donation to Free-doms Foundation, Development Office, P.O. Box 67, Valley Forge, PA 19481.

Join or Start a Volunteer Chapter in Your Area Our Volunteer Chapters help bring the message of engaged and responsible citizenship to schools and communities across America. These important advo-cates enjoy the satisfaction of making a difference as they meet at, plan, and engage in activities that support our mission.

3 42

Message • IN MEMORY OF •

As of August 15, 2017, Michael E. Di Yeso will no longer serve as President and CEO of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Following mutual agreement with the National Board of Directors, Mr. Di Yeso has resigned effective imme-diately.

We thank Mr. Di Yeso for his 10 plus years of service to our organization. Free-doms Foundation is now on a solid financial footing thanks to his efforts over the last decade. Additionally, our beautiful campus continues to improve thanks to investments made in the dormitories, offices, classrooms, and facili-ties as a whole.

Until a search for a new president and CEO is complete, the Freedoms Foun-dation National Board of Directors Chairman Wallace Nunn will act as interim president. As a dedicated member of the Board, Mr. Nunn will serve in this position in a voluntary capacity.

At its annual September in-person meeting, the Board of Directors will initiate the process to replace Mr. Di Yeso and a nation-wide executive search will begin. During this transition, it is our intention to continue the important work of our civics education programs. We are certain that the committed staff in place will help us accomplish this goal.

At this time, the Board of Directors wants to thank our Freedoms Foundation Chapters, donors, and partner organizations for their continued support. Together they are responsible for all of Freedoms Foundation’s success in ful-filling its mission to educate about American rights and responsibilities, honor acts of civic virtue, and challenge all to reject apathy and get involved.

Questions, comments, or concerns should be directed to Mr. Nunn at wnunn@ffvf.org.

Sincerely,

National Board of DirectorsFreedoms Foundation at Valley Forge

Conservation Easement Placed on Medal of Honor GroveAn Evening With Freedoms Foundation: Celebrating Teachers, Character and the Medal of Honor. The support provided by this event helped over 300 teachers to attend our 2017 summer graduate-level professional development programs.

One highlight of the event was the atten-dance of four Medal of Honor Recipients: Major General Patrick H. Brady (Vietnam), Col. Walter Joseph Marm, Jr. (Vietnam), Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward C. Byers, Jr. (Afghanistan), and Capt. Thomas G. Kelley (Vietnam).

Philadelphia entrepreneurs and philan-thropists, Robert and Penny Fox were presented with the prestigious Freedoms Foundation Distinguished Citizen Award. Mr. and Mrs. Fox were recognized for their many contributions, namely their en-dowment of the Fox Leadership Program at The University of Pennsylvania, The Wistar Institute, and their many positive economic contributions through RAF Industries. From L to R: Michael Di Yeso, Penny Fox,

Robert Fox, Wally Nunn

Annual Fundraising Event Helps Fund Teacher Scholarships

From Freedoms Foundation Board of Directors

Freedoms Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2017 National Awards Program. Honoring deserving citizens since 1949, Freedoms Foundation’s Na-tional Awards recognize individuals and organizations for outstanding work in their communities. Do your part today to honor those making a difference, and nomi-

nate your community leader to receive a George Washington Honor Medal by simply visiting our website at www.free-domsfoundation.org/nationalawards to complete an easy online submission. The deadline for nominations is October 1, 2017.

Teacher Grad Programs Expand Enrollment and OfferingsIn the summer of 2017, 336 teachers from 42 states and the District of Columbia en-rolled in Freedoms Foundation’s graduate level courses for teachers in the summer of 2017. This is further proof of the foun-dation’s success, as enrollment increased for the fifth year in a row and this year was the largest cohort of teachers to participate in graduate level professional development in more than a decade. Six Freedoms Foundation chapters sent 41 teachers, with the Broward Chapter recruiting 17 of those teachers. This past summer’s programs saw major scholars come from such institutions as the Universi-ty of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Co-lumbia University, and United States Naval War College, amongst others. Medal of Honor Recipients and other veterans from World War II through to the War on Terror spoke to and spent time with attending teachers.

Freedoms Foundation also expanded its professional development offerings once again with the development of programs in World War II and a program entitled Heroes & Heroines that utilized the study of biography to teach about charac-ter. Heroes & Heroines was the highest enrolled teacher program in the past 20 years, with 72 teachers participating. Teachers used the biographies of such figures as Jackie Robinson and George Washington, amongst others, as case studies to develop an understanding of the six characteristics – courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism and cit-izenship – that define the Medal of Honor Foundation’s Character Development Program. Interspersed with the biograph-ical explorations were pedagogical

sessions with Dr. Tim Patterson of Temple University and Cathy Metcalf, Director of Education for the Medal of Honor Foun-dation, that explored how teachers might translate their biographical explorations back into their classrooms.

The Medal of Honor Legacy World War II program was not only a new profes-sional development program, but it also assisted teachers in formulating methods to engage students about an important aspect of American history and lessons in citizenship and sacrifice.

This year’s workshops had a southern fla-vor; one workshop explored the American Revolution in southern states, and another focused upon the events of the Civil War in the South. Both programs utilized the physical history of the region – battlefields, architecture, etc. – to explore their subject matter and provide teachers with valu-able experiences to bring back to their classrooms.

Program Sponsors:M.J. Murdock Charitable TrustLynde and Harry Bradley FoundationMedal of Honor FoundationPsalm 103 FoundationVeterans of Foreign Wars

“….It’s all about planting that one seed; you don’t have to do every-thing at once… planting one seed

and taking one step forward…that’s what Freedoms Foundation does. It’s what we do in our own communities.

We can influence one person, and that one person hopefully can influ-ence one more, and next thing you

know this grows and we’ve influenced the nation.”

Medal of Honor Recipient Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha, USA (Ret)

“For me, being someone that loves my country and the idealism it stands for, there is no better place than the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Walking the Grove is awesome, and being able to listen and learn from the phenomenal scholars and speakers brought to the seminars is like nothing else. Also, it is a great opportunity to network and learn from my peers that are just as passionate about our country as I am! “

Graduate Teacher Program Attendee: Jeff Scott, PhD

HONORNational Awards Nominations Open!

EDUCATE

A conservation easement was placed on the Medal of Honor Grove in April. This joint effort by Freedoms Founda-tion, Schuylkill Township, Chester Coun-ty, and Natural Lands Trust ensures that the Grove will be preserved for per-petuity. The Grove is the oldest living memorial dedicated to Recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Ongoing maintenance and beautifi-cation of the Grove has been possible

through the commitment and efforts of a nonprofit, volunteer organization known as The Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove. Founded in 2011, the small nonprofit has raised funds and organized volunteers to improve, en-hance, and maintain the dignity of the Medal of Honor Grove.

Michael Di Yeso, president and CEO of Freedoms Foundation, states, “The Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove

exemplify the type of engaged cit-izenship that our organiza-tion fosters. They lead by example, and we are grateful for all that they have done and continue to do.”

Freedoms Foundation is saddened by the loss of Board Member Ernie Smith. Mr. Smith was a dedicat-ed member of the board (July 2009-June 2017) and the Utah Volunteer Chap-ter. He is remembered for his many contributions to advancing the mission of Freedoms Foundation. His assistance was immeasur-able and greatly appre-ciated. The continued success of the nonprofits to which he devoted his talent, time, and resourc-es represent his enduring legacy. We will all remain grateful for his service to the community, his active citizenship, his love of God and country, and the goodwill he bestowed upon all with whom he worked.

This past year has been a busy year to date at Freedoms Foundation in teaching students responsible citizenship, guiding them in the exploration of the democracy in which they live, enhancing their leadership skills and exposing them first hand to America’s rich history. With over 40,000 hours of educational instruction, Freedoms Foundation is helping today’s youth become tomorrow leaders.

This Spring and Summer also saw changes to the Spirit of America Youth Leadership curric-ulum, including the enhancement of histori-cal interpreters, such as a session with Thomas Jefferson on the art of crafting an argument. He takes the students step by step in the pro-cess from forming their opinions to being able to articulate those opinions in an impactful and non-aggressive manner. This exercise greatly aids the students in the debates that follow in the Freedom Summit. We continue to work with our partners and the feedback from the students to improve the content of our educational hours.

Participating in either a Spirit of America Youth Leadership or History Encounters Program, students from fifth grade through to the university level have been inspired by their time here at Freedoms Foundation. With continued support from our partners such as AMVETS, Military Order of the World Wars, VFW, National Sojourners, La Canada School District and our Volunteer Chapters we are continuing to increase our impact on the nation’s youth.

Student education programs sponsored by: Snider Foundation

Malvern Federal Charitable Trust

Armstrong Foundation

Strake Foundation

Church of Latter Day Saints

UHS of Pennsylvania, Inc.

40,000 Hours... ... and Counting!

“I think the most valuable lesson I learned here was that I don’t have

to be a politician or lawyer or schol-ar, or the like, to be involved in our

self-government and market. I can be an informed, engaged citizen. I

can write for newspapers; I can help with political campaigns; I can do so

much more to help America and fight for freedom.”

—Student Participant

H. Ernest SmithMember, Freedoms Foundation

Board of Directors

Stats & Facts

Freedoms Foundation conducted over 40,000 hours of educational instruction to students from across the country.

40,000+ hours

Student Participants came from 49 of the 50 United States plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico, & Military Bases in Germany and Bahrain.

4950

Freedoms Foundation impacted students from age 8 to 22,

elementary through

university.

ages8-22

Medal of Honor Grove

F R E E D O M S F O U N D AT I O N

EDUCATE

HONOR