Citizenship Counts
| File:Citizenship Counts logo.jpg | |
| Established | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Gerda Weissmann Klein |
| Location |
|
Executive Director | Alysa Cooper |
| Website | citizenshipcounts |
Citizenship Counts is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization based in Arizona.
History
The origins of Citizenship Counts trace back to October 2004, when The Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein spoke at a naturalization ceremony hosted by Three Rivers Middle School in Cleveland, Ohio. Following the event, Klein discussed the experience with her granddaughter, Alysa Ullman Cooper, and Rita Schaefer, the then-president of McDougal Littell, an educational publishing company. After learning that Klein and Cooper were invited to attend a naturalization ceremony at the White House, Schaefer encouraged the development of an educational program to teach students about the naturalization process.[citation needed]
In February 2008, The Path to Citizenship, a civics-focused curriculum, was released. Later that year, in August, Citizenship Counts was established to bring the curriculum into classrooms nationwide.[1][2]
On March 23, 2009, the organization conducted its inaugural naturalization ceremony at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona. The event featured the swearing-in of 50 individuals representing 26 countries. The "Oath of Allegiance" was administered by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.[1]
Board members
Citizenship Counts has a variety of educational, political, business, and community leaders who serve on its advisory or governing boards.[3]
Advisory board
- The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice
- Kirk Ankeney, Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction for the San Diego Unified School District
- Dr. Jesus Garcia, former President of the National Council for the Social Studies
- Carlos Gutierrez, former United States Secretary of Commerce, 35th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce
- Sam Harris, former President of Northbrook United Way of America, author, and Holocaust survivor
- Benjamin Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Thomas H. Kirk, Jr., former Deputy Commander of Special Forces in Europe
- Carrie Martz, former CEO and Founder of The Martz Agency
- Ted McConnell, Executive Director of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
- Marney Murphy
- Jason Steinagle
Board of directors
- Roger Cohen
- Dr. Eric Mondschein
- Syd Golston
- Don Streets
- Jim Ullman
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Students take lesson from new citizens - Phoenix Business Journal". www.bizjournals.com. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ↑ "Flag Day ceremony welcomes 20 new U.S. citizens". National Museum of American History. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ↑ Counts, Citizenship. "Citizenship Counts". Citizenship Counts. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
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