Citizenship Counts: Difference between revisions

American non-partisan organization

Citizenship Counts is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization based in Arizona.

The origins of Citizenship Counts trace back to October 2004, when 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, 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.

In February 2008, the civics-based curriculum The Path to Citizenship was published. Citizenship Counts was subsequently founded in August 2008 to implement the curriculum in educational settings across the country.^[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]

Citizenship Counts has a variety of educational, political, business, and community leaders who serve on its advisory or governing boards. ^{[citation needed]}

• 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 M. 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

• Roger Cohen
• Dr. Eric Mondschein
• Syd Golston
• Don Streets
• Jim Ullman