Joe Foss Institute

Jfi, recognized by the irs as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was created in 2001 by the late brigadier general Joe Foss to work with schools and youth groups across america by educating, inspiring and preparing our youth to become informed and engaged citizens. Through our programs, children learn about the founding principles of our country. We send veterans, who personify the time-honored patriotic ideas of service and sacrifice on our nation's behalf, into classrooms nationwide. Our volunteers talk about their military service, good character and leadership skills, america's unique and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Jfi provides free educational materials directly to schools throughout the year, including a classroom-size american flag and poster-sized copies of the declaration of independence, constitution and bill of rights. This year we began distributing pocket constitutions for each student and a hand held flag when age appropriate. We also offer free lesson plans and videos, with specific learning objectives, that can be downloaded from our website (our "you are america" series). Jfi awards college scholarships to high school students through its essay and video contests. Jfi attends educator and veteran conferences around the country to spread the word of our work, and hosts regional and national stars in service events to introduce and raise awareness about our programs in new areas.