January 20, 2006

The Bill of Rights Institute, Arlington, Virginia, has received a three-year, $935,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation to launch a national program that will help students better understand and appreciate American civic values and principles.

The Being an American Project will feature a national essay contest that will challenge high school students to reflect on the meaning of American citizenship and to articulate their personal response to this challenge – both in their current lives as students and in their future as adults. As part of the program, the Bill of Rights Institute, a nonprofit educational foundation, will also create a website designed to provide students with information about the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, the Founding Fathers, and other Americans who have contributed significantly – through their actions or writings – to America’s shared civic values.

“By teaching American values such as integrity, justice, and respect, we will encourage young people to become responsible and active citizens,” says Victoria Hughes, President of the Bill of Rights Institute. “Working with teachers and students across the country, we can promote conversations in classrooms about character, ideals and values. We must arm the next generation of Americans with the knowledge and values they need to accept both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.”

Dr. Kimon Sargeant, Vice President of Human Sciences at the John Templeton Foundation said, "We are delighted to support the Bill of Rights Institute and the Being an American Project. The John Templeton Foundation has a strong commitment to seeing that the next generation of Americans gains a sense of unity, a love of liberty, and a deep commitment to the civic values that have been the hallmarks of this country since its inception. We are proud to have the opportunity to encourage schools to reinforce these positive values and provide our nation's young people with a chance to reflect on both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship."

During the 2006-2007 school year, the Being an American essay contest will be piloted in Kansas, Texas and Virginia. In subsequent years, the contest will expand to include all 50 states in the fall of 2009.

The Bill of Rights Institute, founded in 1999,is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating students and teachers about the liberties and freedoms guaranteed in America’s Constitution and Founding documents, the ideas of the Founders, and how the Founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society. More information can be found at www.BillofRightsInstitute.org.