American Security Today September Digital Magazine September 2016 | Page 30

Volume 7
During one of our monthly brainstorming sessions, an idea was brought forward about starting
a program to reintroduce patriotic themes into our
schools. I was confused, I remember my school
days and we were always doing something patriotic; we decorated the classroom and dedicated
the entire day to doing something for Veterans Day.

The Idea

Like so many others, I had no idea that a lot of the
patriotic themes we remember from school had
been removed. This idea was brought forward by
former educators-turned entrepreneurs, some of
the bravest and most humble women I have ever
known. We wanted to create a program that would
reengage our youth with pride and love for the freedoms we so often take for granted. That program is
Boot Campaign’s Patriot League.
Kids spend so much of the school day concentrating on the past they often feel disconnected from
what is happening around the world right now. We
need to challenge them to take responsibility for the
liberty we hold so dear. Through Patriot League,
teachers around the country are able to engage
their children with relevant, current issues.

September 2016 Edition
I had the opportunity to visit two schools this year
that were part of the Patriot League inaugural
launch. The kids in Ms. Brown’s third grade class
at Bushlands Elementary outside of Amarillo, Texas were so excited and engaged in the program it
blew me away. They were actively writing letters to
deployed service members to let them know that
even though most people don’t know we still have
troops in combat, that the students know and support them.

Patriot League Rally

I also visited Garrett Jr. High outside of Las Vegas,
where the entire school was involved. I was honored alongside veterans of every war, including a
veteran who served in World War II, Korea, and
Vietnam. At the end of the day, he shared with me
that this was the proudest day of his life. He typically did not talk about his time in the military but
the children created such a great environment that
he was able to share things that day that he never
had before.

About the Patriot League

(Learn More – Patriot League is aimed at helping teachers
and educators foster patriotism in classrooms across the
country. Courtesy of Boot Campaign and YouTube.)

They learn how our liberty was won and defended,
and they can put that information to use by engaging their community and raising awareness at
home. It empowers children at an age, making me
think they are so much smarter and informed than
we ever were. Just give them the tools and watch
their amazing compassion and innocence.

So here’s the skinny on the program itself: Patriot
League is an inspiring, kid-centered, activity-based
program that promotes patriotism and community
service among America’s youth through customizable, fun, and creative activities. It’s completely
free for teachers, home school educators, PTA programs, civic leaders, and club directors to become
“Program Captains” and bring Patriot League to
kids in their communities.
It launched in the fall 2015 and debuted with more
than 60 classes onboard for its pilot session. A
team of educators with more than 30 years of ex30