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Events
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AHEF Website Activity and Resource Orders Exceed Previous Records as
Lesson Plans Become Known Nation-wide and World-wide
April 2008
AHEF exceeds previous records of website exposure and resource requests as AHEF resources and lesson plans become known nation-wide and
world-wide! April activity has surpassed expectations and resulted in corresponding new orders for the spring season. Thank you America!
 
Graph above shows monthly website activity for previous 12 months as of May 8, 2008.
National and world maps (top right and above) show website activity for last 500 web hits as of May 8, 2008.
AHEF's lesson plans are becoming known not only in the United States but around the world! Readers from the following countries have recently logged on and read about AHEF and its programs:
Argentina Australia
Bangladesh Bosnia
China Cyprus
Denmark Egypt
France Germany
India Indonesia
Ireland Korea
Madagascar Mauritius
Mexico New Zealand
Norway Phillipines
Puerto Rico Qatar
South Africa Spain
Taiwan Thailand
Trinidad Turkey
United Arab Emirates United Kingdom
Vietnam
AHEF Distribution of Resources Continues to Grow
January 2008
AHEF's website activity reaches new milestones for the month of January
2008 with 4,265 hits and 14,629 page views. These numbers are increases of 75.7% more hits and 125.6% more page views over January 2007.
AHEF's website also reached one-day records of 712 hits and 3,471 page views on January 30. This exciting development shows strong exposure and need for AHEF's free resources.
January 2008 is the first month ever to exceed 4,000 hits and 14,000 page views in a single month. Why? The lesson plans are FREE! AHEF believes America's founding history and ideals should be learned, not sold.
The huge gains are attributable to AHEF's strong desire among teachers, parents, and students for AHEF's free resources on America's founding ideals
not taught in schools and or available many textbooks. Teachers and citizens are taking advantage of one of the best values in American history, social studies, and civics resources!
National Council for the Social Studies 2007 Conference
San Diego, CA
Novemeber 30- December 2, 2007
AHEF and SAR distributed 482 lesson plan CDs and other materials plus an additional 577 CDs from conference orders
to total 1,060 CDs distributed in relation to the NCSS event. CDs recipients included teachers, homeschoolers,
coordinators, department heads, principals, education professors, and more who teach, coordinate, or adminstrate in
capacities related to social studies, history, government, civics, economics, geography, etc. Approximately 5,000-7,000
educators of social studies-related content areas attended the NCSS conference which included speakers, workshops, exhibits, awards receptions, and more!
The mission of National Council for the Social Studies is to provide leadership, service, and support for all social studies
educators. Founded in 1921, National Council for the Social Studies has grown to be the largest association in the
country devoted solely to social studies education. NCSS engages and supports educators in strengthening and
advocating social studies. With members in all the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 69 foreign countries, NCSS
serves as an umbrella organization for elementary, secondary, and college teachers of history, geography, economics,
political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law-related education. Organized into a network of more than
110 affiliated state, local, and regional councils and associated groups, the NCSS membership represents K-12
classroom teachers, college and university faculty members, curriculum designers and specialists, social studies supervisors, and leaders in the various disciplines that constitute the social studies. See www.ncss.org.
Celebrate American Heritage Month!
Houston Independent School District
American Heritage Month & Veterans Day (Nov 11)
November 2007
American Heritage Month gives us all an opportunity to reflect on our roots as Americans from a fresh perspective. It is a
time to remember that we Americans have brought with us many different heritages, but we have joined together in this
country as one people. The Declaration of Independence sets forth our fundamental values, and the Constitution serves
to protect those values. Our schools, teachers, students, and other citizens help preserve and strengthen the miracle
that is America. As Thomas Jefferson said, 'If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.'"
Houston Independent School District (HISD) celebrates American Heritage Month in November. American Heritage
Month supports the teaching and understanding of the facts, philosophy, and values which make up our nation's unique
history and upon which are nation is founded and ever affected. American Heritage Month is an opening point for
teachers in emphasizing education and ideas through resources, lessons, and activities for students that further the
understanding of American heritage. Mayor Bill White has endorsed this annual event in the 2004 American Heritage
Month Proclamation. The American Heritage Exemplary Citizenship Award will be presented to the 2007 recipient.
American Heritage month will be held in conjunction with the celebration of Veteran's Day. The Houston Independent School District offers resources for teachers at HISD's American Heritage Month resources. AHEF and HISD make available to teachers the lesson plan resource, America's Heritage, along with American Heritage Month posters.
Mayor Bill White's American Heritage Month Proclamation
Superintendent Dr. Rod Paige's Address
HISD's American Heritage Month Kick-Off Celebration
Click on the flag below to view video:
(Uses Windows Media Player)
Texas Celebrate Freedom Week
November 11-16, 2007 in Texas Public Schools
Celebrate Freedom Week, House Bill 1776 (2003), passed by the Texas Legislature, addresses social studies
instruction in public schools. Celebrate Freedom Week, designated the week including November 11 in public schools,
encourages appropriate instruction, as determined by each school district, in each social studies class. Instruction
should include study of the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, in their historical context. See Bibliography and Social Studies Center.
Houston Freedom Fest
Honoring the Heroes Who Give Us Freedom
Sunday, November 11, Veterans Day
In front of City Hall, Tranquility Park, and Herman Park
Houston, Texas
VA Ceremony
City of Houston Veterans Day Parade
Houston Freedom Fest
A celebration to honor the troops and maximize awareness of and to meet the urgent physical and spiritual needs of the
local military community through the compassion of the Greater Houston community. Freedom Fest will expose HISD
students to the sacrifices made by the military to defend, preserve, and strengthen America. HISD, AHEF, and various
corporations, organizations, and groups are working to promote constructive citizenship in Houston's broader community
through showing appreciation and respect for military personnel and to help and assist military personnel with their
physical and emotional readjustment after returning to civilian life in the Houston area. See Houston Freedom Fest.
National Middle School Association's 34th Annual Conference & Exhibit
"The Right Stuff!"
Houston, TX
November 8-10, 2007
AHEF distributed 630 lesson plan CDs and other materials at the NMSA event, making resources available for use to
educators of related and interdisciplinary subjects, administrators, college professors, schools, and education programs nationwide.
NMSA's conference theme was "The Right Stuff" in tribute of Houston's NASA program. 7,000 educators of all content
areas attended the conference which included keynote speaker Cal Ripkin, Jr., and other speakers, presenters,
workshops, exhibits, and more! The NMSA has been a voice for those committed to the educational and developmental
needs of young adolescents. It is the only national education association dedicated exclusively to those in the middle
level grades. NMSA consists of 30,000 members representing principals, teachers, office staff, professors, college
students, parents, community leaders, and educational consultants across the United States, Canada, and 46 other countries.
 
Representatives Jack Kamrath, Elmer Remke, and Angela Kamrath host the AHEF-SAR exhibit.
APS Back-to-School Resource Fair and Reception
Arizona Science Center
Phoenix, AZ
September 29, 2007
Over 550 educators visited Arizona Science Center for the APS Back to School Resource Fair and Reception! Educators
mingled with 57 exhibitors, attended a wide variety of professional development sessions including topics in history, geography, science and language arts, explored the exciting Strange Matter exhibition, and enjoyed dinner!
AHEF distributed 300 lesson plan CDs and other materials at this event, making resources available for use to local and
regional educators, schools, extracurricular programs, and learning workshops.
The fair was sponsored by and presented in partnership with APS, an Arizona electricity facility.
National History Day
"Conflict and Compromise in History"
University of Maryland
June 15-19, 2007
Through the National History Day contest, students in grades 6-12 engage in discovery and interpretation of historical
topics related to an annual theme. In the process, they hone their talents and produce creative and scholarly projects in
the form of exhibits, documentaries, historical papers, or performances. After a series of district and state contests, the
program culminates with a national competition at the University of Maryland in College Park each June. See National History Day.
Cincinnati Homeschool Convention
Cincinnati, OH
March 22-24, 2007
AHEF and SAR partnered to exhibit information about our organizations and distribute 300 CDs at this convention
that served the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
metro population of teachers and home school families. AHEF also provided the SAR Cincinnati chapter with CDs
for use in local school presentations and distribution to educators and families.
 
An SAR representative presents information about SAR and AHEF.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
62nd ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show
Anaheim, CA
March 17-19, 2007
AHEF and SAR partnered to exhibit information about our organizations and resources and to distribute 435 CDs to
administrators and educators. SAR will also provide the resources to local schools. In addition, AHEF will provide all
attendees with the resource CD. ASCD is a worldwide nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents more than
175,000 educators in more than 135 countries. Members span the entire profession of educators--superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, and school board members.
Home Education Network of Arizona (HENA)
First Annual Home Education Conference
Arizona State University
February 24 & 25, 2007
AHEF provided 250 CDs to fill welcome bags for conference attendees including teachers and home schooling families.
HENA is an inclusive statewide support organization that aims to create an environment in which all home educating families in Arizona can share resources, find support, and build community.
State Superintendent's Social Studies and Fine Arts Centennial Conference
Oklahoma City, OK
February 3, 2007
AHEF and SAR partnered to exhibit information about our organizations and distribute 100 resource CDs. This
conference geared for PreK-12 educators is Oklahoma's premier educational conference for all social studies and fine arts teachers and curriculum coordinators, serving educators across the state.
 
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SAR Representatives Ron Schrouf (left), SAR-OKC
President Michael Sanford (middle), and Pendleton
Woods (right) host the AHEF-SAR exhibit.
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National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Convention
Washington, DC
December 1 & 2, 2006
AHEF and SAR partnered to exhibit and distribute approximately 250 CDs. According to SAR host Jack Pitzner,
"teachers are always looking for materials that make their life easier. ...Teachers are responsible for covering so much
material that when we can provide such a great tool such as our CD, it is a great asset to them." According to another
SAR representative, Christos Christou Jr., "The materials were great and easily understood. A lot of teachers asked what
we were about. Many asked for CDs. A majority of attendees said they are all about primary sources now and would
love to have a resource that contained the original documents. ...Many were impressed with the content such as the
Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, the Mayflower Compact, and so on. All loved the one-page lesson plans that could be printed directly from the CD. They found this very helpful."
National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Convention
Kansas City, Missouri
November 18-19, 2005
AHEF in partnership with SAR exhibited at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) convention in Kansas City,
MO, hosted by the Kansas and Missouri societies of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). The compatriot hosts concluded that AHEF's presence was a success in distribution and response.
A thousand CD's were distributed to educators from across the country and to teachers from outside the United States. Many were interested in an accurate portrayal of events surrounding the formation of the country. AHEF was familiar to some educators, and positive comments were
heard from those who had received the CD from other sources such as outreach functions. The New York Council for the Social Studies invited AHEF to their annual
convention, and a number of requests were made for summer educational seminars. Some historical publishers took the CD for review and possible use in their material. Some attendees requested copies of
the binder format of lesson plans as a time-saving alternative to printing the material. One person expressed hope that AHEF would be present in the future.
From observations, convention attendees are very interested in
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KSSSAR past president Barnet Ellis (left), MOSSAR CG
Commander Bob Grover (middle), and Fred Kaffenberger (right) host the AHEF-SAR exhibit.
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obtaining free, period-specific information that is easy to use and time-saving in getting their job done.
--Report and photo by Peter Grassl
Kansas Society SAR at NCSS Convention
HISD American Heritage Month
and Exemplary Citizenship Award
2005 Theme: "Celebrating America's Freedom"
The HISD American Heritage Month Exemplary Citizenship Award proudly honors as its 2005 recipient Texas State Representative
Rick Noriega. The award is presented to a member of the Houston community who best exemplifies the positive qualities of American citizenship. Noriega serves as state representative in the 145th Texas House district and is
a Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard. He recently returned from active duty in Afghanistan and, upon return, headed up for Mayor Bill White the Katrina
disaster relief effort at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Texas State Representative Rick Noriega receives HISD's Exemplary Citizenship Award, November 11, 2005
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Receiving the 2005 American Heritage Citizenship Award for
Representative Rick Noriega were parents Mr. and Mrs. Noriega (left and middle). Michael Dorsey (right) presented the award during HISD's American Heritage Month Celebration.
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Teacher Training Sessions
In our goal to educate students and citizens about the ideals, meanings, and philosophical significances of America, the
American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc. presents workshops designed to inform fellow teachers about our curriculum, America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty, and to provide ideas about how such a curriculum may be
implemented in the classroom. We offer these workshops in order to increase awareness of the curriculum by training
other teachers/educators to be presenters in their own schools and communities. Teachers who attend a training
session will receive 4 CEU hours of in-service training credit in accordance with SBEC guidelines. Teachers who go on to
become presenters receive compensation for each workshop they lead as well as a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Training sessions will be held during the summer and school year.
2006 Training Workshop Information
Dates: TBA or by reservation
Contact: American Heritage
Education Foundation Inc.
3501 W. Alabama
Houston, TX 77027
713-627-2698
Times: TBA or by reservation
Credit: 4 CEU hours of in-service training credit
Materials: Workshop attendees will receive a CD-formatted
version of the AHEF Curriculum.
Registration:
For more information, please contact Glenda Stokes at 713-627-2698 or ahef@americanheritage.org. If you wish to register by email, please provide the following: name, school, grade(s), phone number, email address, and
date and time of the workshop you plan to attend.
Now Playing: "Old Glory"
by Gary Mule Deer and The Players
Song Information and Lyrics
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