Exploring 1 for All and the First Amendment (Updated)

NOTE: In all my reading on this topic prior to posting, I was not aware of the fact that there was a difference between Liberty Tree and the Liberty Tree Initiative. As such, I have corrected the text below and extend an apology to 1 for All for associating their campaign with that of Liberty Tree. As noted in the original article, I view “the First Amendment Center and the Newseum … as reputable organizations.”

I was reading some articles on the Yahoo! News website when I came across a link advertising a campaign to “educate youths about [the] First Amendment.” Wondering what this was all about, I went ahead and clicked on the link. What I found both intrigued me as well as questioned possible motives behind the campaign.

The article was about a campaign called “1 for All” – a program to educate children and teenagers about the First Amendment. Curious to learn more about this campaign, I went to the 1 for All website to learn more about the organization. The first thing you see on their website is the following summary about the group and their goal:

1 for All is a national nonpartisan program designed to build understanding and support for First Amendment freedoms. 1 for All provides teaching materials to the nation’s schools, supports educational events on America’s campuses and reminds the public that the First Amendment serves everyone, regardless of faith, race, gender or political leanings. It is truly one amendment for all.

The group is founded by a handful of organizations, including the American Society of News Editors (ASNE), the First Amendment Center, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the McCormick Foundation, and the Newseum. I am not familiar with ASNE or the two Foundations, but I have heard of the First Amendment Center and the Newseum (located near Washington, DC) – both of which I view as reputable organizations.

I eventually found the section where they provide materials to teachers so they can educate their students on the First Amendment. Most of the lesson plans they provide are centered on discussion groups over various topics, including free speech through blogging, journalism and ethics, religion in schools, and more. I didn’t find any issues with these materials, so I decided to click on a link labeled “Past Programs.” In this section, they have a listing of programs that were performed in 2009 and 2010 at various colleges around the country, most of which discussing free speech. But something else caught my eye: how could they have past programs when the site was only registered in January 2010 and the site was launched in June?

The answer was provided by a member of 1 for All this morning. The major founders of 1 for All are also the founders of the Liberty Tree Initiative. As described on the grant proposal:

The Liberty Tree Initiative is an informal coalition of educators, journalists, librarians, artists and authors with a shared interest in building awareness of the First Amendment through education and information. It was founded in partnership with the American Society of Newspaper Editors, with help and support from the Knight Foundation, the McCormick Foundation and the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. The McCormick Foundation hosted a summit of these educators and leaders in October 2007 to develop concepts that would help build understanding of the First Amendment, particularly among younger Americans.

The result: a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that brings enlightening and thought provoking programs to college campuses, tapping the talents of local and national experts and educators to illuminate pivotal First Amendment issues.

I’m all for outside organizations becoming more involved with our youth as a means to improve their education and our society. The 1 for All site states that most people cannot name the five protections under the First Amendment, so there is obviously a problem somewhere in the educational system. The US Constitution and the Amendments should be covered at least twice in two separate subjects: Civics and American History. In Civics, students learn about the structure of our government and the laws the citizens are suppose to obey. In American History, students learn about how our nation came to be, why we chose the Republican-style government model, and why we replaced the Articles of Confederation with the US Constitution.

Are we wasting our money on public education because students (and later, adults) cannot recite the details of the First Amendment? That’s subjective in my opinion. Students learn so many stats and topics while in school that they are bound to forget details once their class is completed. However, we should change the way materials are taught to the students, so they can apply them to their lives rather than just memorize the details to pass a test. If the 1 for All campaign can help with that, then I support them with their effort.