Dreyfuss Announces Major New Initiatives

NEW YORK, NY, June 09, 2011 (Press-News.org) Richard Dreyfuss, President and Founder of The Dreyfuss Initiative on civics, will announce major new program initiatives during a live broadcast on CBS Radio from 7:00-9:00 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 8. This live event will be hosted by Dom Giordano (1210 WPHT) at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The new initiatives include:

The first annual American History Play Competition (AHPC) The AHCP will award $350,000 to playwrights and theater companies for an original play that focuses on an event, person, or place in American history. The prize money will be allocated $245,000 (70 percent) to the playwright and $105,000 (30 percent) to the theater company. The first cycle of eligibility will be for new works produced from September 2011 to June 2012. The first awards will be announced in July 2012.

ÒRebuilding of AmericaÕs Civic Culture must address who we are and why we are,Ó stated Dreyfuss. ÒOne way to reawaken our national identity is to inspire playwrights and theater companies to write and produce plays focusing in AmericaÕs history.Ó

The establishment of the George Washington Institute on the Enlightenment [GWITE] an educational center for scholarship on, discussion and dissemination of, and preservation of the documents, history, and principles of the Enlightenment. GWITE is being formed because the futures of Republican Democracy, freedom, and popular sovereignty are at risk. Understanding how this pivotal era in world history formed AmericaÕs system of government and influenced all democracies is vital to preserving its foundational principles for future generations. Leaders, scholars, and young people need to see that the Enlightenment is just as relevant in the 21st Century and it was at the time of our Founders.

The acquisition and restoration of Happy Retreat, the home of Charles Washington, the brother of George Washington. This is will done in partnership with Friends of Happy Retreat, which is led by Walter Washington, direct descendant of Samuel Washington. Happy Retreat will serve as the global headquarters for GWITE. ÒGeorge Washington was the embodiment of Enlightenment values and thought. His entire life, including how he learned from mistakes, is a model for how the Enlightenment can be applied to daily life and to leadership. Washington remains a timeless role model for leaders in all sectors.Ó

The formation of a Curriculum Enhancement Project Team to develop, disseminate, and support new learning modules and tools for preparing young people to become effective and engaged citizens. The Dreyfuss Curriculum will offer mobile tools that create an agile mind. Learning modules and tools will focus on Reason, Logic, Clarity of thought, Clarity of expression, Critical analysis, Values of debate, dissent and civility, Rumination & contemplation, and Ethics. The curriculum is designed to support the Common Core Standards and the national standards for Social Studies and English Language Arts.

The Dreyfuss Initiative is in partnership discussions with several major universities for the joint development, dissemination, and support of the curriculum.

ÒThis is a pivotal moment for The Dreyfuss Initiative.Ó Dreyfuss stated. ÒMy hope is that these first of many steps will bring civics back to center stage. The current crisis in AmericaÕs civic culture was many years in the making and was the result of many sins of omission and commission. Our Initiative is committed to working with like-minded groups across the political spectrum to forge an effective and lasting solution.Ó For more information visit http://www.thedreyfussinitiative.org

The Dreyfuss Initiative is a nonprofit corporation formed to revive, elevate and enhance the teaching of civics in public schools grades K-12

Contact - Scot Faulkner, Executive Director sfaulkner@TheDreyfussInitiative.org or 703-598-5548