Dear friend,

As spring blooms, many Americans have just finished marking the season with Passover and Easter—holidays rich in meaning and tradition. These celebrations invite moments of reflection on faith, freedom, and the values that shape our lives. I personally appreciated the recent Providence magazine essay by JMC board members Jack Miller and Pete Peterson, about the vital Judeo-Christian heritage of our republic.

America is in its own season for deep reflection on our shared traditions. Last week marked several significant milestones for our country.
 
On April 18, we commemorated the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere and William Dawes’s legendary midnight ride, followed the next day by the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19. These historic moments offer powerful reminders of the courage it takes to defend freedom.
 
If we want our children to grow up to be the kind of patriots who defied tyranny on Lexington Green, then we need to teach them about the meaning of America. I encourage you to read JMC senior fellow Paul Carrese’s recent Washington Examiner op-ed. He makes a compelling case that we are facing a crisis of civic illiteracy—one with serious national security consequences. And yet, not a moment too soon, there is a civic education revival happening in our universities.
 
Two recent webinars we recently hosted demonstrate exactly why this civic renewal should give us hope. During Civic Learning Week, I was joined by two of JMC’s brightest young faculty – Princeton’s Shilo Brooks and CUA’s Michael Promisel – for a conversation about “Teaching for Statesmanship.” More recently, my colleague Tom Kelly hosted a discussion with Paul Carrese and Yale’s Steven Smith about “What is a Patriotic Education?” For more exciting webinars on these themes and more, check in regularly on our YouTube channel and our events page.
 
One of the most rewarding parts of working at JMC is seeing civic education transform young lives. Our newest research assistant, Stephen Matter—an alum of ASU’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership—recently reflected on this in Public Discourse. His essay highlights the power of a civic education grounded in the liberal arts, like the one he received at SCETL, in shaping thoughtful, patriotic students like himself.

That’s ultimately why I’m so hopeful – not just about our movement, but about the future of the country. As our founder, Jack Miller, recently wrote: “The American Dream is far from over.”
 
As you can tell, the Jack Miller Center has been extraordinarily busy already this spring – and there is so much more work to do. From providing support to teachers and scholars at every level of our educational system, to spreading the word about exciting reforms to promote civic education, our team is tirelessly devoted to the mission of teaching America’s founding principles and history. If you would like to join us in this work, please visit our website to find out more.
 
Sincerely,