Inkandescent Kids

David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American™ Foundation is dedicated to restoring enthusiasm in American history for kids, and adults.

Founded on President’s Day 2014, the mission of the organization is to provide insight and increase interest in the people and events that helped establish the United States. And the first phase of the project will highlight the work and lives of the founding presidents, from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln.

On July 4, 2016, David launched a new website that is 100% for kids, by kids: www.GratefulAmericanKids.com. read more...

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Are you hungry to eat healthy? Do you want your kids to learn to cook well? Do you have a secret desire to become a professional chef? Have you always wanted to work in the restaurant business? Or, are you stumped about how to boil water? Do you live to eat, or eat to live?

Then you’ll want to meet Ann Butler, CEO and founder of Edible Education. The former high school cooking teacher took her skills to new heights in 2011 when she opened a commercial kitchen in Midlothian, VA (a suburb of Richmond), and began teaching after-school classes in schools and in her shop, as well as running what is now the most popular C.H.E.F. summer camp in the region. read more...

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When the 2015 awards were presented for the 41st annual National History Day Contest on June 15, Cathy Gorn was grinning from ear to ear. “These are my kids,” says the woman who has been at the helm of the international organization for decades.

Indeed, more than 600,000 students from around the world competed in five categories: documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, and websites.

Why did nearly 3,000 middle and high school students present their work related to the 2015 theme, Leadership and Legacy in History? What inspires a passion in history in the contestants from 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and international schools in Central America, China, Korea, and South Asia? read more...

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Much has been written about the cost of a college education and the debt burden being placed on our children. In fact, 2014 college graduates have the dubious distinction of carrying the highest student loan debt in history.

According to the “Wall Street Journal,” today’s grads are saddled with, on average, $33,000 in student loans — nearly twice the amount of just 20 years ago. Start factoring in advanced degrees or more expensive schools, and you can see how the cost can quickly spiral out of control. read more...

Click here to listen to the podcast!

Much has been written about the cost of a college education, and the debt burden being placed on our children. In fact, 2014 college graduates have the dubious distinction of carrying the highest student loan debt in history.

According to the “Wall Street Journal,” today’s grads are saddled with, on average, $33,000 in student loans — nearly twice the amount of just 20 years ago. Start factoring in advanced degrees or more expensive schools, and you can see how the cost can quickly spiral out of control. read more...

Click here to listen to the podcast!

Shining a light on the stars of American history is the focus of the Grateful American™ Foundation.

In this podcast for David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American ™ Radio Show, Smith and co-host Hope Katz Gibbs interview John Gray, the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and Bruce Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities — two men who have spent their careers bringing history to life.

In this podcast you’ll learn:

Research shows how little too many Americans know about the topic. Why is that? What can be done to get people interested in American history? Is there more the government can do? How can teachers be more empowered to bring history to life? What can parents and grandparents do to educate kids about American history? Download or stream the podcast now! read more...

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Colleen Mudlaff is the president of the DC-based Women’s Diplomatic Series (WDS), an organization that she and a handful other women founded in the fall of 2009. The goal is to encourage women to be better global citizens, through exposure to Washington’s distinguished diplomatic community. And they are certainly hitting their target.

We were honored to join the group in the fall of 2014, and have already visited with the ambassador of Pakistan, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and his wife, Shaista Jilani, as well as the ambassador of Botswana, Tebelelo Mazile Seretse. read more...

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Doug Bradburn is the founding director of Mount Vernon’s Fred W. Smith National Library.

In this episode of the Grateful American™ Radio Show, co-hosts David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs interview the specialist on George Washington, who provides insights in the man behind the myth.

Before coming to run the library at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Doug was a professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the History Department at Binghamton University. He taught college-level classes at a variety of institutions, held two yearlong fellowships, earned a PhD in History from the University of Chicago, and got his BA in History and Economics from the University of Virginia. read more...

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When it comes to teaching American history, James G. Basker is known for being able to bring to life the stories, facts, and events of the past.

As president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History since 1997, Basker has overseen the development of history education initiatives nationwide—including history high schools, teacher seminars, traveling exhibitions, digital archives, and the National History Teacher of the Year Award program.

In this podcast interview you’ll learn:

What excites Basker most about American history. The mission, goals, and accomplishments of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. What makes kids passionate about learning about the past—and why it’s so important. Why such a large swath of people in the United States don’t know enough about American history—and what can be done to change that. Why Basker started the National History Teacher of the Year award, and the impact it makes today on students and teachers who are passionate about history. And that’s just for starters. Download the podcast now! read more...

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