Exciting things ahead at Founding Forward
You will see below that things have been busy for Founding Forward, and the next month will be no different! Read more to learn about recent programs and find out about upcoming opportunities.
As always, none of the work of Founding Forward would be possible without the generosity of our donors. Thank you in advance for considering making a gift today.
Join us next Thursday, November 7, for our Public Affairs panel discussion, “Election 2024: Outcomes and Analysis.” Panelists Jim Schultz, former senior associate White House counsel and CNN legal commentator, and Larry Ceisler, founder of Ceisler Media & Issues Advocacy and co-owner of Potlicspa.com, will discuss the political, policy, and social implications of the 2024 Presidential and congressional elections.
You are invited to attend this live event in the Lafayette Ballroom at Union League Liberty Hill or watch virtually via our YouTube channel. Reception will start at 6:00pm, with the program at 6:30pm (live stream will start at 6:30pm).
We encourage you to be part of a very special National Wreaths Across America event at the Medal of Honor Grove on our Valley Forge Campus. As part of National Wreaths Across America Day on December 14, the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove and Founding Forward will honor the fallen and pay tribute to 3,500+ Medal of Honor recipients through Wreaths Across the Grove.
The event will include a short ceremony at 10:00am, followed by wreath-laying, and light refreshments.
2025 teacher professional development programs kick off with something new
Our 2025 teacher seminars and workshops will get an early start with the addition of a newly developed series of weekend summits on the Declaration of Independence. These weekend summits are a collaboration between Founding Forward and the Jack Miller Center’s Founding Civics Initiative.
The first summit will be held from January 17 to 19, at Union League Liberty Hill. With the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, this timely professional development opportunity will feature a historical interpretation session with Thomas Jefferson, lectures, and discussions of Enlightenment influences, alongside later perspectives such as Fredrick Douglass’s What to the Slave is the Fourth of July. Field study will include Independence Hall, the American Philosophical Society, and the National Constitution Center.
Descriptions and dates for all Founding Forward’s 2025 teacher programs are on our website. Applications for the rest of our teacher programs will open in mid-December for Joshua Chamberlain League members and on January 1 for the general public.
- As part of Archive Month Philly, Founding Forward joined the celebration, including an open house of our current exhibit, A City Divided: The Civil War, Philadelphia, and the Union League of Philadelphia. We also invite you to read, “Archives are for Everybody,” a special message from Founding Forward’s Archivist and Collections Coordinator, Keeley Tulio. We think you’ll enjoy her personal insights into our unique and varied collection. If you haven’t had a chance yet, we hope you’ll visit Founding Forward’s Heritage Center at the Union League and/or explore our collections and archives through our online database.
- We welcomed 46 students to our October Spirit of America program and are getting ready for the final session of 2024 in November. We’ve also lined up 14 sessions for 2025, running from February through November. These immersive four-day programs include mock congressional debates, a free enterprise challenge, visits to historic sites, and more to help students develop their critical thinking and leadership skills and understand their responsibilities as citizens.
- We continue to make updates and upgrades to our Valley Forge campus as we prepare to welcome ever-growing numbers of students to our expanding programs. You can see some of these new updates during our December 14 Wreaths Across the Grove event.
Upcoming speaker programs
Don’t miss your opportunity to hear from these insightful authors and thought leaders, in-person at the Union League or online during and after the event. Our programs are streamed virtually on our YouTube channel.
Election 2024: Outcomes and Analysis
In a politically polarized country where partisans see the opposing candidate as an existential threat, the 2024 election could be one of the most consequential in history.
Thursday, November 7
6:00pm reception, 6:30pm program
This program will be held at Union League Liberty Hill
Artificial Intelligence: Issues & Concerns
Learn from a panel of experts what constitutes true AI, its impact on businesses and what changes it promises to make on society.
Tuesday, November 19
6:00pm reception, 6:30pm program
Churchill’s 150th with Sir David Cannadine
Join us as historian and Churchill scholar Sir David Cannadine celebrates the anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century.
Monday, November 25
6:00pm reception, 6:30pm program
Give a gift with ever-increasing impact
When you sponsor a student or teacher to attend Founding Forward’s transformative civic education program, your gift has an ongoing and ever-increasing impact. Each teacher who attends a professional development program takes those insights back to their classroom, potentially reaching all the students they teach. And each student who attends our events at Valley Forge leaves with respect for our founding principles, critical thinking and leadership skills, and a sense of civic responsibility that will last a lifetime.
Sponsor a student: For $50/month ($600/year), you can send a student to the Spirit of America Youth Leadership Program.
Sponsor a teacher: For $100/month ($1,200/year), you can sponsor a teacher to attend our immersive professional development programs.
Your gift will make a major difference in the future of our country. To learn more or start donating, please contact Christyn Moran at [email protected].