ST. GEORGE — A recent school board meeting saw the CEO of the nonprofit organization United We Pledge, Dennis Leavitt, give a presentation offering to bring Washington County Schools into the Give Me Liberty program.
“Give Me Liberty will bring support to teachers and deliver fun, inspiring, engaging opportunities for students to learn American History and protect their liberties,” Heather Lindsey, education manager at United We Pledge, told St. George News.
Leavitt, a former educator, outlined plans to elevate the educational experience for fifth, eighth and twelfth-grade students.
The nonprofit has been approached by fifth-grade teachers seeking monetary support for their Give Me Liberty program, as they’re facing challenges such as limited time, resources and competing agendas. In response, United We Pledge gave a proposal at the school board meeting that would see all Washington County Schools join the program.
The teachers noted that because social studies was not a subject that is tested on end of year exams, the limited Give Me Liberty program that they currently are a part of is a great asset for teaching students about history.
The organization plans to invite every elementary school in Washington County to become a Give Me Liberty school. Schools who choose to participate will receive booklets, educational programs and speeches from historical figures in cosplay, all focused on the nation’s founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
After a small buy-in of 500 dollars per school, United We Pledge will provide all the resources. The president of the company said that their nonprofit would provide a financial contribution, offering about $7,000 to $8,000 per school to cover the cost.
Leavitt said the organization is committed to working closely with school administrators, teachers and parents to ensure that the proposed initiative aligns with the educational goals and values of the community.
The plans include extending the program to eighth and twelfth-grade levels in the coming years. The organization also introduced an awards program and a unique mobile exhibit, a school bus transformed into an educational experience on wheels.
The mobile exhibit will tour schools and provide a self-guided tour on the nation’s founding documents. United We Pledge will soon have a completed campus Liberty Village campus, a 32-acre development in Hurricane dedicated to recreating iconic American historical buildings.
“It will become to history education what Tuacahn is to entertainment,” Leavitt said.
The program is nonpartisan and non-denominational, he noted. The school board responded to the offer by stating they needed to invest time into speaking with school principals and community leaders before the financial investment can be made.
An accepted proposal would see United We Pledge immediately become a part of the fifth and eighth grade curriculum, with twelfth grade curriculum starting next year.
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