| This planning meeting and television taping
was convened under a grant from The Hitachi Foundation to
bring together representatives of various sectors with a stake
in the education of the nation’s youth. Its goal was
to determine how best to expand the dissemination of the diversity-based
social studies curriculum materials called Americans All®,
which were created under a grant from Hitachi and other funders
in the early 1990s and are now owned by the People of America
Foundation.
Americans All® relies on the nation’s common
heritage of diversity and democracy to respond to today’s
demographic imperatives and school and workforce needs.
The information it provides makes it possible to promote
appreciation for self and others and to teach U.S. history
as a history that recognizes the contributions of all people.
These resources can also help the nation’s schools
better prepare diverse and underserved youth for full participation
in a democratic society.
The Hitachi Foundation’s continued involvement in
this program reflects its keen awareness that modern-day
immigration levels and other demographic trends are changing
the face of this nation and that the pace of change is greatest
in our schools. Dr. Gail C. Christopher, a senior advisor to the People of America
Foundation and a former co-director of Americans All®,
moderated the meeting.
Other meeting participants were Suzie Ahlstrand, Wichita
Area Chamber of Commerce; Paul Babich, United Teachers of
Wichita; Sue Castile, National Conference for Community
Justice; Tamara Cotman, assistant superintendent for elementary
education, Wichita Unified School District 259; Sharon Fearey,
vice mayor of Wichita; Dave Franson, Bombardier Aerospace;
Larry Garcia, chief, Wichita Fire Department; Reverend Kevass
Harding, Delrose United Methodist and Wichita Unified School
District 259 school board; Bob Knight, former mayor of Wichita
and senior consultant to the People of America Foundation;
Allan Kullen, president, People of America Foundation; Jim
Moore, Wichita Community Foundation; Tim Norton, Sedgwick
County Commission; Jane Rand, Wichita High School East;
and three Wichita High School East students, members of
the school’s Students Against Prejudice—Jeff
Konen, Vanessa Sanchez and Montara Vilayvanh.
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