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For Immediate Release: October 4th , 2021
Contact: Victoria Kucharski, Josh Devin, and John Hasson
Email: [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]
Washington, D.C. – An all-star cast comprised of former U.S. education officials and an Emmy award-
winning creative artist have been brought together by Richard Collins, a pioneer in interactive learning
and President of the Today Foundation, to launch The Story of America, a premier online learning tool for
schools and parents concerned about declining American history and literacy standards. The Today
Foundation is developing The Story of America curriculum in coordination with former Secretary of
Education and NY Times Best Selling Author, William Bennett, Emmy award-winning animation artist
and former Disney Animations Studios executive Dan Kuenster, and Kathleen Leos, a former Assistant
Deputy Secretary and Director to the US Department of Education.
The curriculum is currently in development and is based on Secretary Bennett’s best-selling history series, America: The Last Best Hope. The series was lauded by many historians, as well as liberal and conservative education experts. The curriculum will be released in the Fall of 2022. It will be a bilingual
program offered in both English and Spanish.
“For too long, an anti-America ideology that radically misrepresents U.S. history has infiltrated our
education system and misled our kids. The need for a program like this has never been greater. The Story
of America will shine a light on our current educational crisis and share the history of our country with the
next generation in a way that is truthful, engaging, and gives students the full, complex story of America,
which is sadly no longer shared in many of our classrooms,” said former Education Secretary William
Bennett.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, scores for reading comprehension and
history have declined, showing the need for new tools to boost academic achievement. The Story of
America is an interactive, easy-to-use online U.S. history curriculum for middle and high school students.
The program, which satisfies U.S. History requirements, explores our nation’s journey through time,
while strengthening literacy.
The Today Foundation has a proven track record in creating engaging educational programs designed to
help students achieve their academic goals. The Story of America is modeled after The Today
Foundation’s successful Texas History Awakens curriculum, an interactive online educational program
focused on Texas history aligned to the state’s Social Studies Standards. The curriculum is currently
being used by thousands of students throughout Texas. The Today Foundation is now leveraging its
success to bring this unique online educational experience into classrooms and homes throughout the
country.
Educators who have used the Texas History Awakens curriculum in their classrooms had the following to
say:
“I love it. I could see using this almost daily. Use it as a resource for our projects, and daily
lessons and content learning. Utilize the content for our testing and teaching the TEKS. I think is
an outstanding program and would love to use it more. – Steven Campbell, Denton ISD
“We have an online textbook, and this is MUCH better.” – Angela Geiger, Coppell ISD
“I think it has been designed in easily, digestible chunks for students. The images and videos
enhance the content.” – Melissa Shaw, Region 10
“The Today Foundation’s mission is to give the next generation the most innovative and engaging
educational experience possible to allow them to take part in the America Dream. A truthful
understanding of our nation’s history, devoid of political activism, is an essential component of that
education. The Story of America will provide educators, parents, and caregivers with an engaging online
educational tool that strengthens literacy skills and teaches the real history of America,” said The Today
Foundation Founder Richard Collins. Collins is also the Founder of Istation, which currently serves over
4 million students in the United States and other countries with award winning E-Learning programs.
The Story of America team is comprised of experienced educators, authors, technology experts, and
creative artists who have developed a universal approach to learning. In this approach, students are
immersed in an engaging history curriculum powered by interactive educational technology that creates a
multi-dimensional experience to integrate history and literacy skills.
A former Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director to the US Department of Education, Kathleen Leos has
decades of educational experience, particularly around literacy. “Across our country, politics has replaced
teaching at the expense of our children. Politicized classrooms have caused education standards to fall,
leaving children without the proper core competencies in literacy and history. This curriculum explores
our nation’s journey through time, while also reinforcing literacy skills through critical reading and
writing instruction using this innovative platform,” Leos said.
Dan Kuenster, an Emmy award-winning artist and a former Disney Animation Studios executive, is
creating The Story of America’s multi-dimensional, interactive platform. “In order for any educational
program to be successful, it must be engaging for the student. This has been our experience with Texas
History Awakens and our creative team is excited to bring the story of America to life with this new
interactive and innovative curriculum.” Kuenster said.
Click here to watch The Story of America trailer.
For further information or to set up an interview, please send an email to:
Victoria Kucharski: [email protected]
Josh Devin: [email protected]
John Hasson: [email protected]
