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| The campus of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania |
| Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge is a national, not-for-profit, non-partisan and non-sectarian organization providing a wide range of educational and awards programs for students, teachers, and citizens to cultivate a greater awareness of United States history, constitutional rights, citizen responsibilities, student entrepreneurship, and youth development. |
| Our purpose is to educate and inspire citizens of all ages, promote volunteerism, and encourage them to make a positive contribution to their communities. |
| What Makes Freedoms Foundation Unique? |
| Many organizations exist at local, regional, and national levels to promote patriotism, good citizenship, private enterprise education and an understanding of constitutional rights. Freedoms Foundation does all of these. It is the only major national organization dedicated to promoting our distinctive American society. |
| The Foundation's Mission |
| • Educate our youth about the importance of leadership and responsible citizenship |
| • Promote the ideals and principles of a free society |
| • Recognize outstanding civic achievements |
| • Cultivate excellence in education |
| • Inspire tomorrow's leaders |
| What Are the Foundation's Main Acitivites? |
| Education |
| Its educational programs include workshops for young people, continuing education seminars, and American history workshops at the graduate level for teachers and other professionals. Each year over 2600 young people and 400 teachers from all 50 states and several foreign countries participate in these programs. |
| Awards |
| The National Awards Program, the Foundation's oldest activity, was created to honor the exceptional efforts of individuals, organizations, corporations, and schools who promote, through words and deeds, an understanding of responsible citizenship and the benefits of a free society. The awards are selected by an independent jury. Over 50,000 awards have been presented since 1949. |
| In addition, the Foundation also has two fully endowed programs: the Leavey Awards for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education, a cash awards program for educators who create and implement an innovative course or project to teach about the American private enterprise system, and the Pamplin Distinguished Awards, which recognizes individuals and organizations for extraordinary contributions to the nation. |
| Citizenship |
| Promotion of the Bill of Responsibilities completes the Foundation's major activities. Created by Freedoms Foundation in 1985 as a companion piece to the Bill of Rights, the Bill of Responsibilities serves is an educational tool designed to heighten the public's awareness of the balance between rights and responsibilities in a free society. |
| The Volunteer Chapters |
| The Freedoms Foundation has over 30 volunteer chapters nationwide. Nearly 5,000 volunteer members support the Foundation's mission, recruiting and financing student education programs, coordinating various awards programs, and organizing local events to promote community service and responsible citizenship and publicizing these activities in their local media. |
| The Foundation's History |
| The Freedoms Foundation was established in 1949 as a not-for-profit educational organization by Ken Wells, Don Belding, and E.F. Hutton. President Dwight D. Eisenhower served as its first chairman and chairman emeritus until his death in 1969. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, is supported primarily by voluntary contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, service organizations, endowment funds, and its volunteer chapters. |
| The Foundation's Campus |
| The Foundation's campus is located approximately 25 miles west of Philadelphia on an 85-acre campus which once served as part of the encampment for General Washington and his Continental Army. The campus includes 10 classic brick colonial buildings that serve as residence halls, classrooms, administration building, and non-denominational chapel. |
| Medal of Honor Grove |
| As part of our mission to promote engaged citizenship, the Freedoms Foundation created a unique and inspiring Medal of Honor Grove dedicated to the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor — the nation's highest award for valor. |
| A focal point of each area is an obelisk patterned after the Washington Monument. Each obelisk is adorned with the State seal, dedication plaque and list of Medal of Honor recipients from that state. |
| Additional Information |
| For more information about the Freedoms Foundations and its many programs and activities, visit the Foundation's web site (click here). |