A Nationwide Effort to Renew, Elevate and Enhance the Teaching of Civics in the United States.
Leaving our kids in the dark and untrained about how to be expert at Republican Democracy is virulent, absurd and ultimately fatal. It enlarges a problem that as long as it goes unacknowledged, will grow in potency and extend in reach. The Dreyfuss Initiative’s mission is to revive, elevate and enhance the teaching of what we used to call civics and what we now call Power, both in theory and practice in the United States of America.
We want to create a firm foundation upon which our kids can stand. Unless we teach who we are, and why we are who we are, it will be impossible to rise up devotion to the nation. Without such devotion there will be no nation. We want to offer and implement a trans-departmental teaching curriculum to grades K through 12, that allows for regional differences and built on elements that value dissent, debate and civility on opposite views. The curriculum itself focuses on Reason, Logic, Clarity of thought, and Critical Analysis and is reflective of Tammany Hall, television, television add buys, etc…the Realpolitik of contemporary politics.
We want to ignite the peoples outrage in the awareness of the Nation’s decay, in all aspects of its culture. Teaching the reality of politics will not solve the problem, but it’s a beginning and we must start somewhere. We want to offer the storytelling of history, possible experimental learning and the talents of great historians, scholars, experts, to create the tale of the achievement of, the actualizing enlightenment values of independent thought, true democratic process, and civic influence; Namely called Declaration Of Independence, The Bill Of Rights, and The Constitution.
There are things we can do to ensure that we pass to our children the ideas of country that were passed on to us; They will start with teaching our young the things we need them to know. It may sound difficult and it is; it may sound impossible which it isn’t. That this can be done we have no doubt; that it can be done and be profitable to all parties, we are certain. It only needs the doing.
We are connected to one another. Americans, world leaders and business leaders alike are made uniquely strong, in a unique system of a representative democracy. It is Serious Business, with the emphasis on both.
The Dreyfuss Initiative is a nonprofit corporation. The principle objectives of the corporation are:
To revive, elevate and enhance the teaching of civics and power in American classrooms through curriculum development, teacher training, documentation and oral and visual presentations, lectures and events.
To create an enhanced American discourse on civics and power through a national lecture and speaking series in conjunction and/or partnership with corporations, foundations and organizations.
To conduct special seminars and conferences to “teach the teacher” – education for teachers, principals and education executives on civics, and the teaching of civics and power.
To create and implement unique teaching and presentation opportunities, taking advantage of geography, historical significance and impact, personalities and partners.
Develop Pre-Partisan tools of civic expertise for all: reason, logic, critical analysis, clarity of thought, and the narrative tale of achieving the path to enlightenment, which is a story of blood and darkness and a rare victory of light. And that our Constitution and Declaration Of Independence is the first actualization of that victory.
The bold vision of The Dreyfuss Initiative is a partnership with America. It will require leadership, action and philanthropic investment. The initial goal of The Dreyfuss is to raise $10 million over the next two years to develop and provide civics curriculum to schools; produce a broadcast special; implement the Civics Train project for launch in 2011; and launch the Public Sphere project.
In America we are connected even more uniquely by an ideal only. Neither our ancestry, with its honors and wealth, nor our spiritual beliefs, except in their variety, bind us. Ideas bind us. Ideas, that without, the world would be a different place. We are bound by ideas only. If we are not taught those ideas, we are not bound.
Please Send Your TAX DEDUCTIBLE Contribution to:
The Dreyfuss Initiative
119 West 72nd St. #159 NY, NY 10023
New York, NY 10023
Information or comments: Richard@Dreyfuss.us