Citizenship Counts


Citizenship Counts is a non-partisan 501 organization based in Arizona that is dedicated to inspiring American youth with a civic education curriculum that teaches them the value and responsibilities of citizenship, promotes pride in American citizenship, and encourages students to be involved in their communities.

Mission

By educating students on the tenets of citizenship, inspiring their pride of being United States citizens, and encouraging them to serve in their communities, Citizenship Counts empowers students to be responsible, active, and socially just citizens who appreciate the benefits of living in a diverse, inclusive, democratic country. Through this program, all citizens have greater access to naturalization ceremonies in their communities. Attending these ceremonies provides Americans with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role that immigration has played in creating their diverse and dynamic communities.

History

In October 2004, Gerda Weissmann Klein was asked to speak at a naturalization ceremony that was hosted by Three Rivers Middle School in Cleves, Ohio. Klein was touched by the students' interest and excitement as they witnessed immigrants taking the "Oath of Allegiance" to become citizens of the United States. She envisioned students across the country having the opportunity to participate in planning and engaging in naturalization ceremonies hosted by their schools.
Klein shared her experience with her granddaughter, Alysa Ullman Cooper, and her friend, Rita Schaefer, then President of McDougal Littell, a publisher of educational materials for middle- and high-school students. After learning that Klein and Ullman were invited to attend a special naturalization ceremony at the White House, Schaefer encouraged Ullman to author a civics-based curriculum about the naturalization process. In February 2008, The Path to Citizenship was published, and in August 2008, Citizenship Counts was founded to implement the program in schools across the United States.
On March 23, 2009, the inaugural naturalization ceremony under the stewardship of Citizenship Counts was held at the Phoenix Convention Center. Fifty new citizens from twenty-six countries took the "Oath of Allegiance," which was administered by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. More than one hundred students witnessed this event as Klein delivered a speech on achieving the "American Dream" of citizenship.
In 2009 and 2010, multiple naturalization ceremonies have been hosted at local schools and community centers in Arizona, including Villa Montessori and Mesquite High School.
On January 29, 2011, Citizenship Counts and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services hosted a naturalization ceremony at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, where forty-one adults from twenty-two countries and thirty-nine children from thirty-six countries participated. At this event, Gerda Weissmann Klein received the Outstanding American By Choice award from USCIS Director, Alejandro Mayorkas.
In February 2011, Gerda Weissmann Klein received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony at the White House. Klein was nominated for this award by U.S. President Barack Obama for her dedication to "the value of freedom" and "promoting tolerance and understanding among all people."
Future ceremonies and events are planned for Phoenix, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Omaha, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver, and Honolulu schools. In the summer of 2011, Citizenship Counts will be partnering with the Close Up Foundation to host a ceremony in Washington, D.C., bringing students together from several communities across the country.

Curriculum

Citizenship Counts' interactive and multi-disciplinary curriculum, The Path to Citizenship, provides a unique opportunity for students to plan and host a community-based naturalization ceremony in their schools. This curriculum also helps students learn about the processes of immigration and naturalization and the rights of being a citizen in the United States. Topics and features include historical background on immigration to the United States, the naturalization process, classroom activities about immigration and citizenship, a citizenship handbook, and a school-wide naturalization ceremony project.
Citizenship Counts acts as the liaison between the schools that utilize the curriculum and both USCIS and the U.S. Federal Courts, which perform naturalization ceremonies at the schools. At these ceremonies, school-wide participation is encouraged: the student choir has sung "America the Beautiful", the school band has played "The Star-Spangled Banner", the ROTC has presented the colors, and students have participated in essay and artwork contests. During the ceremony the students have the unique opportunity to witness the emotion and fulfillment felt by new citizens as they take "The Oath of Allegiance."

Partnerships

Citizenship Counts has partnered with numerous community and government organizations to assist schools and communities in planning and hosting naturalization ceremonies.
Citizenship Counts has a variety of educational, political, business, and civic-minded community leaders who serve on its advisory or governing boards.

Advisory board