If you are under attack, Young America’s Foundation has your back.
Recent YAF campus activists Alejandro Flores, Daniel Flores, and Juliette Colunga know this well. They posted flyers on their campus to highlight the true history and evils of communism. Even though they followed their college’s official approval process, administrators tore down their posters. In this edition of Libertas, you will read about how a federal court ruled in our students’ favor, permanently prohibiting their college system from banning or censoring free speech on campus. This is a big win for students’ constitutional rights.
Sadly, we see more and more such abuses of power on college campuses and in schools across the country. We launched YAF’s Campaign to Save America in 2023 to win these battles of the day and the Long Game. Inside, you will read a special report about our work on this effort in partnership with our generous supporters. YAF’s student conferences and seminars, trainings, campus lectures and activism, and digital outreach are just a few of the areas in which we have expanded through this ambitious plan. For example, we have already exceeded 1.6 billion views on our YouTube channel, YAFTV (YouTube.com/YAFTV), where students can access a vast library of conservative resources
While YAF is not a political organization, the work we do with young people plays a significant role in elections.
According to data from Tufts University, young Americans shifted from voting for President Joe Biden by a 25-point margin in 2020 to voting for Vice President Kamala Harris by only a margin of six points in 2024. Young men actually voted for President Donald Trump by a 14-point margin after supporting President Biden by 15 points in 2020.
YAF’s Long Game efforts are paying off.
Looking ahead, we have much more work to do to lock in permanent changes with Generation Z. National issues favored conservatives in 2024. For example, YAF’s polls showed that the top concern for college students in the election was the economy. We must be sure these young people understand that liberal policies drive up prices and hurt job creators, while conservative ideas promote fiscal responsibility and economic prosperity.
Leftist professors, teachers union bosses, social media executives, and corporate media outlets do not want young people to hear the facts. Thankfully, we have the truth on our side. That is why YAF’s Campaign to Save America is so important at this time.
On behalf of the students we serve, thank you for your support of our work. Together, we are making a real difference.
Keep Fighting for Freedom,
Governor Scott Walker President
LIBERTAS
Libertas, the Latin word for liberty, is a publication of Young America’s Foundation which highlights the programs, events, students, alumni, supporters, and staff of the Foundation. You may contact Libertas and Young America’s Foundation by writing to: Young America’s Foundation, National Headquarters, 11480 Commerce Park Drive, Sixth Floor, Reston, Virginia 20191; calling 800-USA-1776; or visiting yaf.org. Editor: Raj Kannappan; Publisher: Governor Scott Walker; Publication Design: Jonathan Briggs; Assistant Editors: Jason Barbour, Spencer Brown, Cheri Cerame, Kelleigh Clarke, Patrick X. Coyle, Gabby Dankanich, Kacie Elmer, Madison Habersetzer, Clare Hinshaw, Jessica Jensen, Katie Miller, Chris Miranda, Rico Riccardi, Tom Robinson, Mary Wetterling; Washington, D.C., event photographers: David Keith and Bob Updegrove; California event photographers: Amy Madson, Zach Mendez, and
YAF Secures Landmark Free Speech Victory After Clovis Community College Tears Down Anti-Communist Flyers
Young AmericA’s FoundAtion’s student Activists hAve led the Fight For Free speech on college cAmpuses since the organization’s founding more than 60 years ago. Refusing to let “high-profile” speaker requirements, discriminatory security fees, and other forms of censorship go unchallenged, YAF has won legal victories in recent years against the University of California, Berkeley; California State University, Los Angeles; and many other colleges and schools for constitutional violations.
In the latest such victory, Flores v. Bennett, a federal court banned Clovis Community College (CCC) in California from enforcing any policy that discriminates against student groups based on their viewpoint.
This First Amendment win follows an incident in 2021, when Alejandro Flores—the founder of CCC Young Americans for Freedom—and fellow chapter members Daniel Flores and Juliette Colunga planned to participate in YAF’s Freedom Week initiative, during which students distribute materials to educate their peers about the history and evils of communism.
Following school policy, CCC YAF obtained approval to
post anti-communist posters on campus bulletin boards, but administrators revoked that approval and tore down the posters when other students allegedly reported that the materials made them “uncomfortable.” Administrators cited a policy that prohibited “inappropriate or offensive” posters.
Shortly thereafter, the three YAF student leaders worked with Young America’s Foundation and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression to sue CCC and secure all students’ constitutional rights.
In August 2024, a federal court permanently prohibited the State Center Community College District, a California community college district that covers CCC and five other colleges, from banning “inappropriate or offensive” speech and censoring a student group’s speech based on viewpoint discrimination.
“Just one student standing up can make all the difference in the fight for our First Amendment rights,” said Alejandro Flores, who, following his tenure as chairman of CCC YAF, has found his calling as a staff member at Young America’s Foundation. “Don’t back down, and don’t stay quiet,” Flores added.
As a result of this ruling, the State Center Community College District will:
• Adopt a new poster policy consistent with the First Amendment;
• Ensure its employees undergo annual free speech training, which includes specific instruction on this landmark lawsuit;
• And pay $330,000 in damages and attorney fees, including $20,000 each to the three CCC YAF student leaders.
Governor Scott Walker, YAF’s president, remarked,
This is a victory not only for the rule of law, but also for everyone who values free speech. We hope this sends a clear message to those who are considering violating our students’ constitutional rights—don’t, or you could end up in court-ordered First Amendment training like the administrators at Clovis Community College.
To learn more about YAF’s free speech defense work, please visit YAF.org/legalbattles.
Clovis Community College YAF leaders (from left) Daniel Flores, Alejandro Flores, and Juliette Colunga win a free speech lawsuit after administrators tore down their posters that educated students about the history and evils of communism.
Stauber, O’Connor, and Scanlan Headline YAF’s 26th National High School Leadership Conference
in response to increAsing demAnd From concerned pArents And FAmilies, Young America’s Foundation entered a new phase of student recruitment in 1997, when it built on its college outreach by launching a program for high school students in Washington, D.C.
Today, YAF’s life-changing high school conferences— held at the Foundation’s national headquarters in Reston, Virginia; Reagan Ranch and Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California; and Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois—consistently have lengthy waiting lists of young people eager to participate.
These programs are a pipeline for YAF’s college outreach and for the broader Conservative Movement. Through their involvement with the Foundation, thousands of high schoolers each year strengthen their patriotism, develop their communication skills, and bolster their leadership to promote freedom in their schools and communities. Importantly, these programs teach younger audiences core American values before colleges have a chance to influence their outlook.
YAF was pleased to recently host promising students from 23 states and 78 high schools for the 26th annual Gratia Houghton Rinehart National High School Leadership Conference at its national headquarters.
Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) kicked off the program, headlining the opening dinner banquet by discussing the importance of faith and character in public service. He told the young audience, “Character is how you behave when no one else is looking.”
The next day’s agenda featured YAF President Governor Scott Walker, economic historian Dr. Burt Folsom, Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer, and Venezuelan freedom activist Daniel Di Martino.
Larry O’Connor, host of WMAL’s O’Connor & Company, delivered the keynote address during the second night’s dinner banquet. He encouraged students to spread their values in culture, remarking, “Be a warrior, but be a happy one. Have a smile on your face, attract people to you, and, no matter where your career path takes you...you can be that leader that our country needs.”
The final day of the conference featured Americans for Prosperity Vice President Casey Mattox, National Journalism
Center Board of Governors member and UnHerd D.C.
Correspondent Emily Jashinsky, Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women Program Officer Lauren Herzberg, Forge Leadership Network Recruiting Director Anna Young, author and YAF alumnus Kenny Xu, YAF Program Officer for Chapter Services Charlie Jones, and YAF National Chairwoman Jasmyn Jordan.
Former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Paula Scanlan, who was forced to share a locker room and compete with biological male swimmer Lia Thomas, also spoke to students, motivating them to stand up for the truth and protect the integrity of women’s sports. She concluded, “It is so rewarding to do the right thing, and you’ll find that it opens up so many more doors and experiences for you to lead.”
Students concluded the conference with a memorable evening tour of the monuments on the National Mall, where they reflected on America’s founding and gained a greater appreciation for the sacrifices of our Founding Fathers.
To learn more about YAF’s upcoming conferences for middle school, high school, and college students, please visit YAF.org/events
Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) encourages the young audience to stand strong for their values.
Students from across the country tour the National Mall and stop near the U.S. Capitol during YAF’s 26thNational High School Leadership Conference.
YAF Brings Reagan: The Movie to New Audiences Nationwide
chronicling ronAld reAgAn’s extrAordinArY liFe And Accomplishments, Reagan: The Movie—released on August 30, 2024—tells the story of the 40th President, from his childhood in Dixon, Illinois, to his acting career in Hollywood, to his leadership in America’s fight against global communism. Reagan is based on two books The Crusader and God and Ronald Reagan—by longtime YAF speaker Dr. Paul Kengor, a leading Reagan historian and professor of political science at Grove City College. Along with Kengor’s 11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative, a resource that YAF provides to thousands of students each year, these books serve as definitive works on Ronald Reagan’s life and ideas.
The film, which opened at more than 2,500 theaters nationwide, stars Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan, Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan, and Jon Voight as KGB agent Viktor Petrovich.
The film also prominently features scenes at Ronald Reagan’s beloved ranch home, Rancho del Cielo, preserved by Young America’s Foundation. Quaid, who was originally hesitant to play the role of a such a prominent historical figure whom he admired, remarked,
My visit to the Ranch was really what convinced me to take on the role. I felt Reagan’s spirit there. It’s an incredible place, and I’m glad you have preserved it so well.
Today, students of all ages—along with supporters and friends of YAF—have the opportunity to visit Rancho del Cielo, where they learn first-hand about the ideas that fueled the Reagan Revolution.
Reagan has helped expose large audiences to YAF’s mission of inspiring increasing numbers of young people with the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values.
Prior to the film’s release, YAF hosted a sold-out red carpet premiere with Quaid at the Dixon Historic Theatre in Dixon, Illinois, Ronald Reagan’s hometown where the Foundation now preserves the Reagan Boyhood Home. Shortly thereafter, YAF welcomed a capacity audience to another advance screening of the film at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California.
Additionally, YAF’s generous supporters have sponsored thousands of students to view the film in theaters. In the coming months, the Foundation will also support educators and schools nationwide in organizing screenings of the film to reach a new generation with the timeless ideas that Ronald Reagan championed.
To learn more about YAF’s work to educate young Americans at the Reagan Ranch and Reagan Boyhood Home, please visit www.reaganranch.com.
The Reagan Ranch provides a stunning backdrop for several key scenes in the film about the life and accomplishments of America’s 40th President.
Reagan Ranch Board of Governors member Mark Larson interviews Dennis Quaid on the red carpet during YAF’s exclusive premiere of the movie, Reagan, in Dixon, Illinois.
Dennis Quaid and Jon Voight, who star in Reagan, celebrate the film’s Hollywood premiere at historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
Students Learn to Champion Free Market Principles at the Road to Freedom Seminar
more thAn 15 YeArs Ago, Young AmericA’s FoundAtion estAblished the AnnuAl roAd to Freedom seminAr to educate students about the ideas championed by leading economic thinkers—including Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and others—who influenced President Ronald Reagan. The program was inspired by Hayek’s influential book, The Road to Serfdom, which launched a global debate about the relationship between political and economic freedom.
The 2024 Road to Freedom Seminar—held at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California—drew motivated students from 23 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 55 colleges and universities. The program was also streamed on YAF’s YouTube channel, YAFTV (YouTube.com/YAFTV), drawing thousands of online views.
Featuring a faculty of business leaders, survivors of communism and socialism, and policy experts, the seminar provided students with a philosophical grounding in the principles of free enterprise and entrepreneurship and equipped them with resources to effectively persuade their peers on campus.
Venezuelan freedom activist Daniel Di Martino opened the seminar, headlining YAF’s Wendy P. McCaw Reagan Ranch Roundtable. Sharing his journey from socialist Venezuela to America, Di Martino warned of the economic devastation that could come to America if public officials lead the country on a path to bigger government.
Additional seminar speakers included economist and
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Dr. Arthur Laffer, whose session was part of YAF’s annual Thomas & Marjorie Mairs Advancing Freedom Lecture Series; Patrice Onwuka, director of the Independent Women’s Forum’s Center for Economic Opportunity; Andy Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants; Bitcoin developer and entrepreneur Jimmy Song; Dr. Samuel Gregg, the Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research; Dr. Anne Rathbone Bradley, vice president of academic affairs at The Fund for American Studies; and John Tamny, editor of RealClearMarkets.
A highlight of the weekend was the closing dinner banquet featuring North Korean defector and human rights activist Yeonmi Park, who delivered a stirring speech about her daring journey escaping North Korea in search of freedom in America.
Student Madison Dewett from Allan Hancock College in California remarked about her experience at the Road to Freedom Seminar,
I have learned so much that has made me a stronger American with a deeper appreciation for freedom. Daniel Di Martino and Yeonmi Park’s stories about living in a country that doesn’t value freedom really stuck out to me.
During the weekend, students also walked in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan at Rancho del Cielo—his ranch home for nearly 25 years—where they explored the modest adobe home, tack barn, and Secret Service Command Post. The transformative experience offered the next generation of America’s leaders an appreciation for the humble lifestyle, love of hard work, and timeless values that the 40th President cherished.
College students enjoy a memorable tour of Rancho del Cielo during YAF’s annual Road to Freedom Seminar.
The Independent Women’s Forum’s Patrice Onwuka speaks to students at the Reagan Ranch Center.
Chinese dissident Alvin Hailin, a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, asks a question during the seminar.
Bitcoin developer and entrepreneur Jimmy Song discusses the importance of sound money for a free and prosperous society.
YAF’s 9/11: Never Forget Project Reaches Thousands of Students
more thAn two decAdes AFter the trAgic september 11, 2001, terrorist AttAcks, Young America’s Foundation’s student activists at hundreds of campuses nationwide marked this important anniversary by organizing YAF’s annual 9/11: Never Forget Project.
Since the Foundation launched this initiative in 2003, students at thousands of colleges, schools, and communities have organized Never Forget memorials, resulting in more than 14 million flags displayed in remembrance of the individuals murdered by radical Islamists on 9/11. This initiative has grown into the largest nationwide student activism project and become a patriotic tradition from coast to coast.
The iconic Never Forget displays, composed of 2,977 American flags—one for each innocent life taken—bring communities together to pay tribute and keep America’s promise to “never forget.” The project has taken on greater educational significance in recent years, as nearly all of today’s traditional undergraduate students were born after September 11, 2001.
In virtually all cases, the memorials are created by students, not by administrators or faculty members. Indeed, if not for the work of patriotic students, many of whom were not yet born in 2001, most educational institutions would ignore this anniversary.
Sadly, it has become commonplace for school administrators, educators, and radical leftists to restrict students’ ability to organize this project. The year 2024 was no exception.
Saint Louis University (SLU), for example, charged two YAF chapter members with disciplinary actions for displaying a joint pro-America and pro-Israel banner that read, “Shared Values,” “Remembering 9/11,” and “Tolerance Over Terrorism.” A university official stated, “The committee was concerned about the overall inclusivity of the organization and felt like your presentation did not make it clear how you would promote or engage with individuals who do not identify as conservative.”
Undeterred, SLU YAF leader Nikolay Remizov remarked,
In organizing this 9/11 memorial, I sought to honor the memory of those who perished—people of all faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs—and to recognize the enduring bond between America and Israel, a nation that, like the U.S., stands resolute against terrorism.
students, and
YAF’s memorial was prominently displayed at many major universities nationwide, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Virginia Tech University, University of Utah, University of Oklahoma, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M University, University of Iowa, Penn State University, Michigan State University, Clemson University, Vanderbilt University, University of Alabama, and Auburn University.
In addition to campus displays, YAF’s staff, alumni, supporters, and community volunteers organized Never Forget displays on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and near the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California.
YAF’s staff,
Capitol Hill staffers commemorate the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 on the lawn of the United States Capitol.
Young America’s Foundation’s memorial is prominently displayed at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
YAF chapter members at Harrison High School in Harrison, New York, express their patriotism through the 9/11: Never Forget Project.
A Progress Report on YAF’s Campaign to Save America
By Governor Scott Walker, President
College professors embrace Marxist agendas. Administrators cancel conservative speakers. Big Tech executives censor our speech. Colleges welcome men to compete against female athletes. Schools encourage separate commencement ceremonies based on race, sex, and gender. Things are getting out of control in America.
To counter these troubling trends, we have to do more than just win the battles of the day. We must triumph in the Long Game. In 2023, we launched Young America’s Foundation’s three-year plan called the Campaign to Save America. This is how we win the Long Game.
Our goals are to reach more students nationwide, at younger ages, with an even better message about our conservative values. That is what the Campaign to Save America is all about, and we are grateful for the investment that YAF’s generous supporters have made in this effort. Since the start of 2023, we have seen dramatic growth in YAF’s campus lectures and activism, student conferences and programs, and social media outreach.
Younger voters favored Joe Biden by 25 points in the 2020 Presidential race. That margin dropped to six points in 2024.
Young men favored President-elect Donald Trump by 14 points in this election. Our efforts to reach more students with common sense conservative reforms are working.
Still, we have much more work to do to make these changes long-lasting and reach more young women with our ideas.
Currently, we are on track to achieve one of our most successful school years for YAF’s campus lecture program— with key conservative voices, including Ben Shapiro, Yeonmi Park, Dr. Ben Carson, Paula Scanlan, Michael Knowles, Chloe Cole, Lt. Col. Allen West, and so many others—reaching students nationwide. We continue to fight back against biased administrators and radical student government activists who try to block conservative voices from being heard on campus.
YAF’s student activism is on the rise, too. Our goal is to reach young people at every one of the more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the nation. To accomplish this, we are recruiting talented campus advancement staff to travel the country and grow our YAF chapters and YAF chapter membership.
YAF’s student conferences and seminars are booming. At our programs, students often hear from more conservative
Students representing 30 states and more than 150 colleges and universities gather at YAF’s Orlando Freedom Conference in early 2024.
leaders in a few days than they have heard throughout their educational careers.
This past summer, we educated the largest audience of full-time students at our 46th annual National Conservative Student Conference in Washington, D.C., the longest-running conservative youth conference in the country (see page 14).
Each year, we also host regional Freedom Conferences, with Orlando, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, and Miami serving as recent sites for this program. Our students will soon gather in San Diego for the 2025 Freedom Conference.
Additionally, we hosted the largest-ever spring High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch in 2024 and continue to organize outstanding programs year-round at Rancho del Cielo.
Saving Rancho del Cielo, President Ronald Reagan’s ranch home outside of Santa Barbara, California, in 1998 was one of the best decisions made by YAF. Since then, patriotic
Americans have made sacrificial gifts to preserve and protect this premier Presidential site, ensuring that future generations will continue to be inspired by our 40th President’s legacy.
Similar to YAF’s work at the Reagan Ranch, after acquiring the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois, in 2020, we continue to grow our Midwest programs to reach students and families in America’s Heartland. We have launched conferences for college, high school, and middle school students in Dixon and recently hosted actor Dennis Quaid for a red carpet screening of the new film, Reagan, which drew a soldout audience (see page six). Our focus is on recruiting more Midwestern students and exploring how YAF can establish a permanent Midwestern campus to expand our impact.
To reach even younger audiences, we have launched and dramatically increased the number of Middle School
(Continued on page 12)
Join Young America’s Foundation’s Campaign to Save America
Young America’s Foundation’s Campaign to Save America seeks to give every student in the country the chance to hear and consider conservative ideas and values. Governor Scott Walker, YAF’s president, noted,
The Campaign to Save America is the way we win not only today’s battles but also the Long Game. It means investing in our children and their children. It means persisting for the cause of freedom.
This campaign provides a roadmap for instilling in young people the values upon which our great nation was founded. Together, we will help ensure future generations of Americans pass on the same love of country and freedom which our parents and our grandparents shared with you and me.
The need to prepare the young people of today and tomorrow to love America, fight for freedom, and engage their peers is a defining challenge of our time.
Through the Campaign to Save America, Young America’s Foundation has embarked on an effort to raise a minimum of $120 million from 2023 through 2025 to reach dramatically more young people, at younger ages, and more effectively with conservative ideas. As of November 30, 2024, we have secured more than $80 million of support in partnership with patriotic Americans.
To ensure we succeed together in educating and inspiring the next generation, we invite you to join this effort by investing in one of the following key priorities of the Campaign to Save America:
• Reagan Ranch Student Programs & Preservation
• Reagan Boyhood Home Student Programs & Preservation
• National Student Conferences & Washington, D.C., Programs
• Campus Activism & Lectures
• Digital Outreach & Engagement
• Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise Programs
• National Journalism Center Programs
• Free Speech Legal Defense
To learn more about the Campaign to Save America or inquire about giving opportunities, please contact Director of Development Jason Barbour at jasonb@reaganranch.org or 336-543-4536.
Inspiring Young People Nationwide
With campuses on the East Coast, the West Coast, and now the Midwest, Young America’s Foundation is reaching more young people across the country than ever before with the timeless ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values.
A standing-room-only audience of students attend YAF’s exclusive campus lecture featuring the Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro at Vanderbilt University in November 2024.
(Continued from page 10)
Expeditions we host each year, with these unique programs taking place recently at the Reagan Ranch, Reagan Boyhood Home, YAF’s national headquarters, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. (see page 27).
YAF’s social media outreach continues to skyrocket, with more than 1.7 million subscribers and more than 1.6 billion lifetime views on YAFTV, our channel on YouTube, which is the most popular digital platform among Generation Z.
YAF’s National Journalism Center is recruiting and training more truth-seeking young journalists to counter the Left’s stranglehold on the media. Additionally, we launched the annual Dao Prize—the largest prize in all of journalism— in 2023 to recognize and celebrate courageous investigative journalists who shed light on key stories and topics overlooked by the mainstream media.
To accomplish YAF’s ambitious growth plans, we set an aggressive goal of raising a minimum of $120 million in support from 2023 through 2025. As of November 30, 2024, YAF’s generous supporters helped us raise more than $80 million. We will work closely with patriotic Americans throughout 2025 to achieve this overall goal.
The Campaign to Save America is ultimately about investing in the next generation of leaders in the fight for freedom.
YAF’s recent polling of Generation Z reveals that the economy is the number one issue for young Americans. Beyond the November elections, this gives YAF a foundation to help students realize that socialism and the ideas proposed
by the Left will harm their futures and ruin our country. In addition, YAF’s polling shows that college students do not believe admissions or hiring based on race is fair. They also do not believe allowing men to compete in women’s sports is fair.
We are making inroads with Generation Z, but we have much more work to do nationwide.
On behalf of the students Young America’s Foundation serves, we thank each supporter who has invested in our efforts. We look forward to sharing our continued progress on the Campaign to Save America in the months ahead.
Viewership on YAFTV, YAF’s YouTube Channel
YouTube is the #1 online platform where young people get their information each day. Young America’s Foundation’s YouTube channel, YAFTV (YouTube.com/YAFTV), increasingly serves as the primary way students first learn about and get involved with YAF’s programs. From premier campus lectures to student conferences, YAF’s library of content on YouTube ensures that the next generation has access to the best conservative resources available.
Young people participating in YAF’s recent High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch have the opportunity to walk in President Ronald Reagan’s footsteps at Rancho del Cielo.
Join the Club!
Become a member of one of Young America’s Foundation’s exclusive, annual giving clubs to help save America.
Members of President’s Club, Rawhide Circle, and Defenders of Freedom provide the backbone of support for YAF’s efforts to pass on your conservative values to future generations of young Americans.
Benefits include permanent recognition at the Reagan Ranch, invitations to exclusive giving club events, private visits to the Reagan Ranch for you and your family, and much more.
Young America’s Foundation’s Giving Clubs
President’s Club Benefits (annual giving of $2,500+)
• An invitation to the annual President’s Club Weekend
• A permanent engraving of your name on Freedom Wall at the Reagan Ranch
• Open invitation to visit the Reagan Ranch or the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home for a private tour
Rawhide Circle Benefits (annual giving of $10,000+; or lifetime giving of $100,000+)
• An invitation to the annual, exclusive Rawhide Circle Retreat
• A unique Rawhide Circle recognition plaque to acknowledge your membership
• All benefits included in YAF’s President’s Club giving level
Defenders of Freedom Benefits (annual giving of $100,000+; or lifetime giving of $1,000,000+)
• Invitations to exclusive Defenders of Freedom events around the country
• Prominent, permanent recognition on Freedom Wall at the Reagan Ranch
• VIP access to YAF events around the country featuring Foundation leaders and other conservative dignitaries
• All benefits included in YAF’s President’s Club and Rawhide Circle giving levels
For more information, please contact Director of Development Jason Barbour at jasonb@reaganranch.org or (336) 543-4536.
Speaker Johnson, Congressman Jordan, and Dennis Prager Headline 46th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
By Jaime Hahn, Conference Director
As Young America’s Foundation’s president, Governor Scott Walker, welcomed young leaders to the opening dinner banquet of the 46th annual National Conservative Student Conference, he remarked,
On your college campus, you get plenty of attacks from the other side and plenty of chances to hear opposing views. You need people around you who support you and lift you up.
Heeding Governor Walker’s guidance, conference participants dedicated their time at the weeklong conference to expanding their network of like-minded friends, holding important discussions about the issues most pressing to their generation, and gaining a grounding in timeless conservative principles. Students represented nearly 250 colleges as well as 43 states; Washington, D.C.; and Puerto Rico.
“Right now, it’s a battle between worldviews. We need to know in a time like this exactly what we believe because I think we need to speak with clarity, conviction, and consistency more than we ever have before.”
— speAker mike Johnson
The second day of the program commenced with remarks from Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), followed by author and commentator Vince Everett Ellison, who debunked the term “tolerance”—which radical students and faculty members have hijacked and redefined to mean the
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson delivers an informative speech titled “The Seven Core Principles of American Conservatism.”
Karen Broussard and Reagan Phillips, on behalf of their late father, YAF Director Emeritus Thomas L. Phillips
YAF Vice President Patrick Coyle
Reagan Ranch Board of Governors members George Dunlop and Becky Norton Dunlop
Young people representing nearly 250 colleges attend YAF’s 46th annual National Conservative Student Conference.
full-throated endorsement of leftist ideas and policies.
Students also enjoyed enlightening sessions featuring theologian and Grove City College Professor Dr. Carl R. Trueman, podcast host Seth Gruber, and Princeton University Professor Dr. Robert George, who was interviewed on stage by Governor Walker.
Newsweek’s Josh Hammer underscored the importance of supporting U.S. ally Israel in the war against Hamas; Breitbart’s Emma-Jo Morris, Jerome Hudson, and Bradley Jaye outlined how students can advance conservative ideas in popular culture; YAF staff members Charlie Jones and Hunter Morrow led an activism training session; and members of the Pack family, creators of a new documentary about Justice
Entrepreneur and free speech advocate Ann Atkinson speaks about the importance of protecting all students’ First Amendment rights on campuses.
Clarence Thomas, provided a crash course in documentary filmmaking and storytelling.
The evening concluded with an inspirational and timely dinner session featuring 56th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson, who discussed “The Seven Core Principles of American Conservatism” (see full speech on page 19). Johnson remarked,
Right now, it’s a battle between worldviews. We need to know in a time like this exactly what we believe because I think we need to speak with clarity, conviction, and consistency more than we ever have before.
Hundreds of YAF alumni and supporters also attended
University of Florida student Nataly Ignatowicz asks a question of a speaker during the conference.
During his speech, National Journalism Center Board of Governors member and Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow teaches students how to search for objective truth in media and journalism.
PragerU Founder Dennis Prager encourages the Foundation’s students to pursue lives of personal responsibility and virtue.
Author Vince Everett Ellison debunks the Left’s use of the word “tolerance” to suppress conservative viewpoints on campuses.
the dinner banquet, which included a presentation of the Foundation’s annual Alumni Awards to Reagan Ranch Board of Governors members George Dunlop and Becky Norton Dunlop, YAF Vice President Patrick Coyle, and the family of the late YAF Director Emeritus Thomas L. Phillips.
The next day, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03), co-founder of YAF’s Campus Free Speech Caucus, took to the stage to discuss the importance of standing up to pro-Hamas campus violence.
Students also heard from National Review Senior Editor Jay Nordlinger, entrepreneur and free speech advocate Ann Atkinson, detransitioner Chloe Cole, and National Journalism Center Board of Governors member and talk radio host Larry O’Connor.
A highlight of the week was a dinner banquet headlined by New York Times bestselling author and PragerU Founder Dennis Prager, who noted, “The Left is the opposite of everything I am offering you this evening. They teach people that the greatest problem in their life is others.”
The fourth day of the program began with a special session of YAF’s Buckley Breakfast Club that featured Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04), co-chairman of YAF’s Campus Free Speech Caucus. Other informative sessions featured commentator Elisha Krauss, National Journalism Center Board of Governors member and Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow; Focus on the Family Vice President and Reagan Ranch Board of Governors member
Detransitioner Chloe Cole responds to questions from students following her powerful personal testimony about the dangers of radical gender ideology.
YAF’s summer interns meet Congressman Jim Jordan (middle) prior to his remarks at the Foundation’s National Conservative Student Conference.
Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks addresses the audience of students from across the country.
Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, teaches students how to use humor and satire to persuade their peers.
Recent NCAA swimmer Paula Scanlan presents a compelling case for protecting women’s rights in sports.
Tim Goeglein; and historian and author Dr. Burt Folsom.
North Korean defector Yeonmi Park keynoted the dinner session, during which she shared her powerful testimony of escaping tyranny in her native country and finding freedom in America.
The final day featured remarks from Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21), Independent Women’s Forum Ambassador Paula Scanlan, YAF alumnus and 48th Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares, and Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon.
Lt. Col. Allen West concluded the weeklong conference with an inspiring speech on the importance of young people doing their patriotic duty to preserve and strengthen the American republic.
Throughout the week, students also enjoyed several
Lt. Col. Allen
concludes the conference with an inspirational speech on the case for American exceptionalism.
opportunities to meet like-minded friends, including networking receptions, activism trainings, late-night bull sessions, tours of the National Mall, and the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women’s luncheon featuring Erin Hawley, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom and wife of U.S. Senator Josh Hawley.
Young America’s Foundation is grateful to the Richard & Barbara Gaby Foundation, Challenge Foundation, Isaac I. Foundation, and Larry Polhill for their leadership gifts to support this transformative program. The Challenge Foundation’s matching grant inspired hundreds of patriotic Americans to sponsor young people to participate in YAF’s longest-running student conference.
YAF alumnus and 48th Attorney General of Virginia Jason Miyares shares his family’s remarkable story of fleeing communist Cuba for America.
West
North Korean defector Yeonmi Park underscores the dangers of communism and socialism.
YAF ally Congressman Chip Roy speaks to the aspiring leaders attending YAF’s National Conservative Student Conference.
YAF staff members Hunter Morrow (left) and Charlie Jones (right) present the University of Utah YAF chapter with the Chapter of the Year Award and a $10,000 check to host a campus speaker.
The Seven Core Principles of American Conservatism
Remarks by Speaker Mike Johnson at Young America’s Foundation’s 46th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
July 23, 2024
Thank you so much. YAF is such an important organization. What a great legacy, what a great history. I think the finest moment of the organization may be right now, the time that we live in, and I want to talk with you a little bit about that.
I really do believe that we’re living in an interesting, unprecedented moment in history. I’m so tired of making history in Congress. We just wish we could have a normal Congress, but nobody knows what that looks like anymore.
We’re in a battle right now between two completely different visions for who we are as a nation and who we’re going to be. Right now, it’s a battle between worldviews.
We need to know, in a time like this, exactly what it is we believe. I think we need to speak with clarity, conviction, and consistency more than we ever have before. It’s our responsibility, it’s our duty, to do that.
So, I spent a lot of time trying to articulate that and put it into simple terms. I’m from Louisiana. We’re plain-spoken folks. We try to put it in terms that are commonsensical. What I remind my folks back home—my constituents as well
as my colleagues in Congress— is that we are the team, we are the group, that believes in foundational truths and core principles.
I think it’s really important for all of us right now to be able to speak clearly about what that means. What are the foundational principles?
Yesterday, I had an opportunity to speak to about 360 interns on Capitol Hill. It was House and Senate interns, Republicans and Democrats, all in a big auditorium like this. I never waste an opportunity to talk to that group because I know I’ve got a lot of students there who probably have never before heard some of the things that we all stand for.
I started with the foundational truths because we can no longer assume that people know the basics.
I did with this group what I’m apt to do when I speak at high schools or college campuses. They’ll bring in a big whiteboard or chalkboard because I usually request to use a visual aid, and I always begin with a question like this: “Raise your hand if you believe you live in the greatest nation in the history of the world.”
I’m disheartened because when I’m moving around the
During his remarks to the audience of YAF students and supporters, Speaker Mike Johnson discusses the timeless values that young conservatives must advance to preserve America.
the seven core principles oF AmericAn conservAtism
Remarks by Speaker Mike Johnson at Young America’s Foundation’s 46th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
country, even in red states, and I ask that question among young people, I usually get only a fraction of the audience.
That’s a really sad thing because if we don’t understand that we’re an exceptional nation, if we don’t know what freedoms we truly enjoy, it’s easy to take freedom away from people.
So, I’d say, “Thank you to those who raised your hands. Students, if you don’t believe that you live in the most exceptional nation, the greatest nation in the history of the world, would you at least concede that you live in a great nation?”
I get a few more hands.
Then I’d say, “Okay, everybody, put your hands down. You live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. It’s not even close. You live in the most free, most successful, most powerful, most benevolent nation that has ever been. And it’s very important that you understand why.”
It’s based upon foundational truths.
What do I mean by that? There’s something very different about your country than every country that ever came before. On July Fourth this year, we celebrated our 248th anniversary as a nation. It’s useful for us to begin with the nation’s birth
“Your
value is not related in any way to the color of your skin, what zip code you live in, where you come from, how good you are at math, or what your talents are. That’s irrelevant.
Your value is inherent because it is given to you by your Creator.”
certificate, the Declaration of Independence, to explain why our nation is so exceptional.
First, I’d go to the whiteboard and write “God” really big at the top of the board. And then I’d go about halfway down the board and write “king.” I’d draw a bunch of arrows down and then write “the people/the subjects.”
Then I’d say, “What you’re looking at right here is just
YAF’s William & Berniece Grewcock Capitol Hill Townhouse
For more than 60 years, Young America’s Foundation has worked with hundreds of the most accomplished and articulate conservative leaders to inspire young people with the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values.
In particular, YAF has partnered with talented White House and congressional leaders. These include President Ronald Reagan; Attorneys General Edwin Meese III and John Ashcroft; Secretaries Jack Kemp, Donald Rumsfeld, Caspar Weinberger, Betsy DeVos, and Ben Carson; Speakers Newt Gingrich and Mike Johnson; Ambassadors Jeane Kirkpatrick and Robert O’Brien; White House officials Mark Meadows, Kellyanne Conway, Marc Short, and Tony Snow; and numerous members of the United States Congress.
Today, YAF’s William & Berniece Grewcock Capitol Hill Townhouse is the home of the Foundation’s work to advance conservative ideas in Washington, D.C. The 3,600 square-foot facility—located just steps from U.S. Capitol and congressional office buildings—provides an ideal meeting location for YAF students, alumni, supporters, and allies in Congress and the White House to gather for intimate dinners, receptions, and discussions.
To learn more about YAF’s efforts in the nation’s capital, please contact Capitol Hill Outreach Director Gabby Dankanich at 800-USA-1776 or gdankanich@yaf.org.
The William & Berniece Grewcock Capitol Hill Townhouse serves as the home of Young America’s Foundation’s efforts to advance conservative ideas in Washington, D.C.
the seven core principles oF AmericAn conservAtism
Remarks by Speaker Mike Johnson at Young America’s Foundation’s 46th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
a graphical word picture of the philosophy that was at the center of all the other great countries in the world before we came about.”
What does that mean? It’s called the divine right of kings. It’s an old medieval notion that there may indeed be an almighty, but the sovereign is the earthly king. And the king is the one who can tell you what property you can hold, oftentimes whom you can marry, how many children you could have, et cetera. The king is the boss.”
In July of 1776, the founders of our country came along and were troubled by this. They said, “Wait a minute, now the king is a tyrant, and the king has taken away our freedoms, our rights.”
Thomas Jefferson wrote for the five-person committee drafting the Declaration, “We hold these truths to be selfevident that all men are created equal.”
understood we were made in God’s image—it means that every single person has inestimable dignity and value. Your value is not related in any way to the color of your skin, what zip code you live in, where you come from, how good you are at math, or what your talents are. That’s irrelevant. Your value is inherent because it is given to you by your Creator.
I’d stop and ask, “Students, what is this self-evident truth?” It’s something that’s obvious. In fact, the first draft that Jefferson wrote said it was sacred—“sacred and inviolate.”
It doesn’t say born equal but instead created equal. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
G.K. Chesterton was a famous British philosopher, and he said, “America is the only nation in the world that’s founded upon a creed.” He said, “It’s listed with almost theological lucidity, clarity, in the Declaration of Independence.”
Students, here’s what we did. We erased the middleman, the king.
We acknowledged that government does not give us our rights. Our rights come from our Creator.
There are all sorts of implications that follow from that truth. If we are made by our Creator—the founders believed that because they were students of scripture, and they
That is why we believe in the foundational truths that emanate from this idea of individual freedom. We believe that government should be limited because we are not going to take away those rights that the Creator gave us.
Abraham Lincoln came along after the founders’ generation, years later, and in the Gettysburg Address, he famously said that we are dedicated to this proposition—that a nation and a government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. A couple of sentences earlier in the Gettysburg Address, he said, “We’re one nation under God.”
We were the first country in the history of the world based upon this bold and obvious declaration that our rights come from God.
Now, here is the problem. This was the beginning, the genesis, the secret of why we became the greatest nation in the history of the world. But let me tell you something, my friends. All of it is imperiled right now.
Do you know why? Because something is happening right
YAF’s college students, alumni, and supporters hear from Speaker Johnson.
the seven core principles oF AmericAn conservAtism
Remarks by Speaker Mike Johnson at Young America’s Foundation’s 46th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
now in your generation. Now, we are denying God. There are a rising number of people in our country who are defying the foundational truths of our nation’s birth certificate. They are denying that God even exists. They are denying the Creator.
If you think this is a happy circumstance, you are quite wrong, because there are other implications that come from that. In fact, what you are looking at is the basis of communism, Marxism, and socialism.
“We were the first country in the history of the world based upon this bold and obvious declaration that our rights come from God.”
Why? It begins with the premise that there is no God. The implication from that is quite serious because if you have no Creator, you were not made in his image, and you have no inestimable dignity and value. In fact, you are just another social animal. That is the basis of socialism. You are a social animal.
Guess what happens to social animals? They have to be controlled and directed. That is how tyrants emerge. That is how evil flourishes. That is why tens of millions of innocent people over the 20th century alone were murdered—because evil flourished through this idea of Marxism and communism.
That’s not who we are.
In order to preserve our freedom and our foundational truths and to make sure that we maintain our status as the greatest, most exceptional nation in the history of the world, we must stand by those truths.
If that is the 50,000-foot view, let me drill down a little bit because, as I mentioned, we have to be evangelists for the truth, the eternal truth, but also the political and philosophical truths and the ideas that we stand for.
In 2019, I’d been in Congress for two years, and I got elected chairman of the Republican Study Committee. It’s the largest caucus in Congress. It’s also the largest caucus of conservatives. At the time, we had 158 members among House Republicans. All the self-described conservatives were in this group. It’s known as the intellectual arsenal of conservatism in the House, and it’s where our ideas and principles make their way into legislative text.
I wasn’t the most senior person in the room. I’d been in
Congress for one term, and I said, “Thank you for making me chairman. We’re going to do a really thorough job here, but I want to start with something very basic.”
Now, remember, this is 2019. Throughout the first two years of the Trump administration, there had been a lot of tumult going on in our culture, society, and politics.
I’m from Louisiana, so I explain everything in football or hurricane metaphors. At this time, we were in really uncharted waters, in high choppy seas. There were dark skies on the horizon. When you’re in a situation like that, you have to know where the fixed points are on the horizon. You must know what it is to keep your direction and to keep the ship safe.
I said, “I’m troubled, guys.” There were 158 of us at a big luncheon, and I said, “We need to do a recalibration here.”
When I was back home in Louisiana, in my district, I’d begun to ask people, “What does it mean to be a conservative? How do you articulate that? Summarize it for me.”
You got this wide range of loose ideas.
I said, “That’s not going to cut it because we’re in a battle between two worldviews, ideas, and philosophies. We’ve got to be able to speak with clarity, conviction, and consistency. And if we can’t do it,” I said to my colleagues, “how can we
Speaker Johnson meets with YAF’s William & Berniece Grewcock Intern Scholar Michael Ruffenach and Campus Events Coordinator Breana Marsh.
the seven core principles oF AmericAn conservAtism
Remarks by Speaker Mike Johnson at Young America’s Foundation’s 46th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
expect everybody that we represent to do it? We’re supposed to be the leaders.”
We could probably put together a task force. I think that we could come up with a concise definition of what it means to be an American conservative right now. I was a constitutional law attorney, a litigator. I spent a lot of time thinking about this, and I have been lately, too. If we took an entire library full of conservative thought and writing—let’s say from Edmund Burke until today, including the framers of our country and their individual letters, as well as the Republican Party platforms over the last several decades— and condensed that down to just one half of a page, what would it say?
In fact, what if you were downtown in D.C. tonight and you got on an elevator with a young progressive? You have just three minutes to talk to them about why their worldview is incorrect and why yours is the right one—that it ensures human flourishing for everyone. What would you say?
I’m calling them the seven core principles of American conservatism. It boils down to individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity.
Under each of those, there are subcategories. Under human dignity, for example, we could talk about the sanctity of all human life because of those foundational truths that I mentioned a moment ago.
The point is that is not the end all, be all of the list. You can come up with your own, but I think it’s going to sound something kind of like that.
“The beauty of what we believe is that they are eternal truths—the same truths that the founders of our country recognized and that every previous generation of conservatives has held fast to.”
What I would like to posit is that we have this extraordinary duty to help lead the nation and keep to those foundational truths. We’ve got to be able to say this with conviction and bring people along with our ideas.
Ronald Reagan, in his farewell address, said, “They call me the great communicator, but I really wasn’t.” I’m paraphrasing him. He said, “I was just communicating great things, and they’re the same great things that have guided our nation since its founding.”
What are the great things? They don’t change. The beauty of what we believe is that they are eternal truths—the same truths that the founders of our country recognized and that every previous generation of conservatives has held fast to.
Now, it falls to us because we are the stewards of the great things. And if they’re going to be preserved, if the greatest
Students from across the country gather in Washington, D.C., for YAF’s 46th annual National Conservative Student Conference, where they gain inspiration from Speaker Johnson and other leading conservatives.
the seven core principles oF AmericAn conservAtism
Remarks by Speaker Mike Johnson at Young America’s Foundation’s 46th Annual National Conservative Student Conference
Speaker Johnson addresses questions from the audience of students representing nearly 250 colleges nationwide.
“I’m so grateful for you and Young America’s Foundation and what you stand for—what you always have stood for.”
nation in the history of the world is going to be kept, if we’re going to be able to keep the Republic, then it will fall to the people in this room and a handful of others to make sure that happens.
That’s what you’re dedicated to. That’s what you’re about. That’s why you’re here. I’m so encouraged by that because Reagan also reminded us freedom is not inherited in the bloodstream. It’s got to be fought for, protected, taught, and passed down to the next generation so that it can be preserved. I think we’re going to have a chance to do that.
We’re living in a providential moment in the history of the greatest nation in the history of the world. And all of us are part of this. All of us have a responsibility.
It’s always been a remnant that saves and keeps the Republic. It’s never the whole body. It’s never the whole country. It’s a handful of patriots and people who are dedicated to these foundational truths and these core principles who are willing to not just articulate them, but to compete in the battle of ideas so that we prevail.
I’m so grateful for you and Young America’s Foundation and what you stand for—what you always have stood for. It is for such a time as this that you’re here, and I’m so encouraged that you are.
We abandon the foundational truths and our core principles at our peril.
I’ll leave you with this very last thought. We are the last best hope of man on earth. Us, the United States, our constitutional republic, this design that we have—it is not perfect. We’re in the process of making a more perfect union every day. But we cannot abandon this for anything else because there is no better plan.
It’s incumbent upon us to fight for it and to preserve it in this great battle of ideas among the two competing visions. I’m so grateful that you’re in that battle.
I want to be at your service. Anytime you’re on Capitol Hill, come to the Speaker’s office. We’ll take pictures on the balcony. It’s the best photo shot there is.
I want to thank Governor Walker for his incredible leadership at such a time and everyone here. Thank you for what you’re doing. Thanks for having me tonight.
These remarks have been edited for length and clarity. You may access the full lecture on YAF’s YouTube channel, YAFTV, at YouTube.com/YAFTV.
SPECIAL NOTE: All 2025 Reagan Ranch Getaway Weekends will be hosted by YAF’s president, Governor Scott Walker, and his wife, Reagan Ranch Board of Governors member Tonette Walker a a
2025 REAGAN RANCH GETAWAY WEEKENDS
You are cordially invited to an exclusive weekend getaway at Ronald Reagan’s mountaintop home, Rancho del Cielo, in Santa Barbara, California. You will be joined by an intimate group of seven other couples from around the country for a weekend experience hosted by Governor Scott Walker and his wife, Tonette.
2025 retreat dates
March 21 to 23
June 20 to 22
October 17 to 19
When
you arrive in Santa Barbara, your every need will be met based on an all-inclusive price, including:
• Complimentary transportation to the Hotel Californian (from Santa Barbara Airport).
• Welcome luncheon featuring a notable conservative leader.
• Two-night, five-star accommodations at the luxurious Hotel Californian.
• VIP visit experience at Ronald Reagan’s “Western White House,” Rancho del Cielo.
• Behind-the-scenes tour of the Reagan Ranch Center and Exhibit Gallery.
• All meals, including two luncheons, two receptions, two dinners, and a full breakfast.
(excluding airline travel)
Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserve your space TODAY.
Please contact JASON BARBOUR at (336) 543-4536 or jasonb@reaganranch.org.
Inspiring Younger Audiences through YAF’s Middle School Expedition
By Tawny Kilpper, Middle School Program Director
“It’s morning in America.”
That message, made famous by President Ronald Reagan, symbolizes the dawn of a new era and the promise of freedom.
We have taken this idea to heart at Young America’s Foundation to educate the next generation. YAF’s new Middle School Expedition program—which builds on the Foundation’s successful record of educating and training college and high school students nationwide—is not just another educational experience. It is a unique and engaging journey that equips young students in grades six through eight to stand confidently for the principles of freedom, free enterprise, and personal responsibility at a time when they need it most.
In today’s educational landscape, the stakes could not be higher. Too many students encounter a distorted version of America’s history and identity. They are fed narratives of oppression, division, and resentment rather
Middle School Expedition Overview
Young America’s Foundation offers Middle School Expeditions at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California; the Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois; and at historic sites in or near Washington, D.C. During these adventures, students:
• Explore the personal history of a hero of freedom (such as President Ronald Reagan, George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln)
• Develop critical debate skills to excel in any discussion
• Meet and draw inspiration from today’s conservative leaders
• Forge friendships rooted in shared values
• Discover their innate courage and leadership potential
For the adults steering students’ education, YAF’s Expeditions offer these opportunities:
• Connect with families who understand their concerns and values
• Foster patriotism and respect for our nation’s rich history
• Provide a counterpoint to the prevalent leftist narrative in schools
• Guide young learners towards thoughtful conservatism
To learn more, please contact YAF’s Middle School Program Director Tawny Kilpper at 888-USA-1776 or tawnyk@reaganranch.org
Hillsdale College Associate Professor Dr. Michael Clark leads a session during a recent Middle School Expedition.
Students participate in an interactive session during YAF’s Middle School Expedition in Santa Barbara, California.
than taught the values of hard work, opportunity, and unity that have made our country great.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and curricula based on critical race theory (CRT) have infiltrated K-12 classrooms, challenging the very essence of what conservatives believe.
YAF is prepared to meet this challenge, and the battle for our future leaders starts in middle school.
Why Middle School? Why Now?
At YAF, we see the middle school years not as a mere transitional phase, but as a critical period for shaping a young person’s worldview. It is a time when curiosity is at its peak and students are beginning to form opinions about themselves,
their communities, and their country. This recognition, and encouragement from countless families across the country, is what led YAF to launch the Middle School Expedition—to address this pivotal moment in a student’s life.
During each Middle School Expedition, students from across the country embark on an exciting journey to learn conservative principles through hands-on workshops, debates, discussions, and challenges.
Our goal is simple: inspire middle school students to fall in love with America. We seek to help students understand the truth about America’s founding, our country’s core values, and the extraordinary promise our country holds for their future. Importantly, we equip them to defend these ideas confidently and understand that their voices matter today, not just when they become eligible to vote.
Middle School Expedition Student Outcomes
• Patriotism and Respect for History: Students develop a deeper love for America, respect for the rich history of our country, and a strong connection to their nation’s heritage.
• Knowledge of Conservative Principles: Students gain an understanding of conservative principles, including concepts related to free enterprise, hard work, personal responsibility, and love of family, faith, and country.
• Critical Thinking Skills: Students develop the ability to analyze information, form reasoned opinions, and engage in thoughtful discourse with their peers.
• Leadership Development: Students become confident and effective leaders who can advocate for their beliefs in a constructive manner.
• YAF Journey: Students begin a path of YAF involvement by gaining an introduction to all that the Foundation can offer them, including student conferences, leadership development, activism training, YAF chapters, campus speakers, and much more.
The Reagan Boyhood Home, preserved by YAF in Dixon, Illinois, serves as a fitting venue to educate middle school students.
By starting their YAF journey earlier, students have more time to develop the skills they need to successfully participate in high school and college YAF chapters, undertake activism projects, and assume leadership roles.
Three Compelling Middle School Expedition Venues
YAF’s Middle School Expedition takes place in three locations, with each offering a unique and complementary experience: the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California; the Reagan Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois; and key historic venues in or near Washington, D.C., such as the Museum of the Bible and George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
At the Reagan Ranch, students walk in the footsteps of
President Reagan himself, exploring his modest home and favorite trails and absorbing stories showcasing his character, vision, and unwavering belief in the American Dream. In addition to learning this important history, we challenge students intellectually. Through discussions on economic freedom and personal responsibility—like those led by Venezuelan freedom activist Daniel Di Martino, who shares the first-hand experience of his native country’s descent into socialism—students engage with the real-world consequences of bad ideas.
At the Reagan Boyhood Home, students gain insight into Reagan’s formative years, learning how the challenges he faced as a young man shaped his values and vision for the future. This program also includes the Reagan Resilience Challenge, a leadership course modeled after military training
Middle School Expedition Parent Testimonials
“We are so grateful that Young America’s Foundation launched their Middle School program, just as our daughter became eligible to attend the summer seminar at Mount Vernon in June. We have seen a big difference in her ability to understand liberal bias in current events as well as her ability to articulate her conservative views intelligently.”
— Parent of Washington, D.C., Middle School Expedition student
“This program was absolutely fantastic! Both of my kids who attended said that they learned a lot and would like to attend more of these conferences. They were both able to talk through and understand some key topics like free market enterprise and the differences between equity and equality, which are so important in this day and age. Thank you so much for giving them this opportunity to learn the truth about America’s principles and its great place in history!”
— Parent of Reagan Ranch Middle School Expedition student
Middle School Expedition sponsors Ray and Susie Screbant (middle) enjoy meeting the students attending a recent program at the Reagan Ranch.
exercises in which students work together to solve problems and develop team-building skills.
In the nation’s capital, the Museum of the Bible serves as a fitting venue that provides students with a deeper understanding of America’s religious heritage and the role of faith in our nation’s founding. Led by Hillsdale College Associate Professor Dr. Michael Clark, this program guides students to explore iconic national monuments, engage in productive debates, and learn how the principles of faith, freedom, and free enterprise are woven into our nation’s fabric.
Together, these experiences provide a compelling opportunity to prepare middle schoolers for the next phase of their YAF journey.
Addressing a Critical Gap in Education
The Middle School Expedition is a crucial tool in countering the destructive impact of the radical Left’s agenda in our schools. The narratives of CRT and DEI tear down the ideals of personal responsibility, individual liberty, and equal opportunity in favor of grievance, victimhood, and resentment. YAF’s program provides students with a powerful counter-narrative—one that upholds the truth about America’s founding principles.
Each expedition offers sessions in which experienced teachers—including historian Dr. Burt Folsom, economists Dr. Michael Clark and Dr. Anne Rathbone Bradley, and educator Kali Fontanilla, among others—bring American history and economics to life through stories, interactive games, and simulations that spark enthusiasm for new ideas and leave lasting impressions on students.
Parents who send their children to the Middle School Expedition have seen the difference it makes. As one parent shared about her son,
Deaglan has been carrying around his pocket Constitution that he was given at the event. He has been annotating it to learn about his unalienable rights. He likes to pull it out to use in debates at his school and share with his friends!
This response is representative of the feedback we hear from parents and families—proof that the Middle School Expedition is having a tangible, immediate impact.
A Hopeful Future: Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders
At YAF, we believe that by reaching students at younger ages, we can extend their runway to success and set them on a path to becoming tomorrow’s leaders.
With the generous support of patriotic Americans, we will inspire and equip middle school students to think boldly, lead confidently, and stand up for the values that have shaped our nation. In particular, we are grateful to longtime YAF supporters Ray and Susie Screbant for their significant investment in helping to launch and expand YAF’s Middle School Expedition program.
Together with students, parents, and educators, YAF is committed to ensuring that the next generation not only understands the importance of freedom, but that young people also develop the courage and skills to defend it.
Middle School Expedition Sponsors: Ray & Susie Screbant
Ray and Susie Screbant are passionate supporters of Young America’s Foundation who split their time between Bell Canyon, California, and Rhinelander, Wisconsin. They have been involved with YAF for 15 years, generously sponsoring the Standing Up for Faith & Freedom Seminar, Freedom Sanctuary at the Reagan Ranch, and other key programs and projects. Most recently, they have risen to the challenge by sponsoring the launch and expansion of YAF’s Middle School Expedition program.
As the Screbants state about their involvement with YAF’s growth, “We have to stand up and be bold. We, as adults, need to help our young people to stand up and be bold. We want to see YAF reach new levels. We want to have many more programs, have new impact on campuses, and do things we haven’t done before—on a grander scale.”
In partnership with YAF, the Screbants’ vision for the Middle School Expedition is to inspire students through engaging educational experiences that celebrate America’s foundational principles.
Young America’s Foundation is deeply grateful for the investment Ray and Susie Screbant have made in the next generation. Ray and Susie Screbant
Teaching Free Market Ideas on Campus: An Interview with Professor Alice Kassens
By Michael Mastrianna, Program Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise
About Dr. Alice Kassens
Today’s young people are rarely introduced to the ideas of free enterprise and a free society in their classrooms and on their campuses. Many go their entire educational careers without meeting or hearing from a faculty member who defends free market principles. While the outlook seems grim on many college campuses, there is a glimmer of hope among the faculty allies of Young America’s Foundation.
Dr. Alice Kassens, the John S. Shannon Professor of Economics and director of the Center for Economic Freedom at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, is one such academic leader.
Since 2018, Dr. Kassens has worked closely with YAF’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise (CEFE) to promote the principles of economic freedom and expose students to ideas often neglected on many campuses. By partnering with YAF, she has hosted leading free market speakers—from economist Dr. Arthur Laffer to North Korean defector Yeonmi Park—in front of large audiences of Roanoke College students. She also serves as a member of CEFE’s Board of Advisors, guiding YAF’s work to educate and inspire increasing numbers of young people nationwide to champion free market principles.
Additionally, Dr. Kassens has won numerous awards at Roanoke College for her excellence in teaching, serves as a research fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and has served on the Virginia governor’s Joint Advisory Board of Economists.
Michael Mastrianna: What sparked your interest in economics?
Dr. Alice Kassens: I took my first economics classes by chance.
Due to the time constraints from running cross country and track at The College of William & Mary (W&M), I took summer school classes to stay on track to graduate. I lived in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the time and took classes at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The only classes that W&M would accept that fit into my training schedule—and that my mother approved of (which was the highest barrier)—were the principles of microeconomics and principles of
“I focus on sharing free market ideas so that Roanoke College students understand them and
can decide for themselves,
with accurate information, their view of the world.”
— DR. ALICE KASSENS
macroeconomics. I signed up for both. Within the first few minutes of the first day of the first class, I was hooked. It helped that Dr. Luther Lawson was a fantastic professor. Those moments changed the trajectory of my life and opened a whole new world to me.
Mastrianna: How did you decide to pursue a career in teaching?
Kassens: When I went to graduate school at North Carolina State University to get my Ph.D. in economics, I thought I wanted to go into consulting since I loved data analysis.
However, one of the requirements for my graduate assistantship was to assist
Dr. Alice Kassens meets with businessman Steve Forbes following his YAF campus lecture at Roanoke College.
professors, including Dr. Wally Thurman and Dr. David Hyman, in several ways, including grading and teaching labs. The more opportunities that I got to teach, the more I realized how much I enjoyed it. I suppose that was not a surprise, since as a child, I would pretend to teach my stuffed animals math using a chalkboard in my bedroom.
Mastrianna: What prompted you to establish the Center for Economic Freedom at Roanoke College, and what is the mission of the Center?
Kassens: I thought that an important piece of a well-rounded education was missing at Roanoke College: a focus on the positive powers of free markets. With the support of then-Roanoke College President Mike Maxey and Dean Richard Smith, I started the Center.
Mastrianna: Why do you believe it is important that students study great economists like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek?
Kassens: Understanding the perspectives of great economic thinkers helps students critically analyze contemporary economic issues, including the balance between market freedom and government intervention. Additionally, their ideas transcend economics, intersecting with politics and ethics, which encourages
interdisciplinary thinking and helps students develop strong analytical skills. By engaging with these ideas, students not only gain a historical perspective on how economic thought has evolved, but they also learn to apply those principles to real-world challenges.
This economic foundation empowers students to make informed decisions in their future careers and as citizens.
As a side note, I so admire Milton Friedman that I named my poodle, Millie, after him.
Mastrianna: How did you first learn about YAF?
Kassens: Several years ago, I got to participate in a question-and-answer session with Dr. Arthur Laffer at an event hosted by Pinnacle Financial in Roanoke. We hit it off, and he shared that he was interested in speaking to Roanoke College students. Dr. Laffer then connected me with YAF to help make that visit happen. A great partnership was born!
Mastrianna: Since you began working with YAF’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise, you have brought some of our top free market speakers to address student audiences at Roanoke College. What has been the reception on campus?
Kassens: YAF’s speakers, including Dr. Laffer, Yeonmi Park, Steve Forbes, and others, have been extremely popular
During one of several recent YAF campus lectures at Roanoke College, Dr. Carol Swain speaks to a packed audience about what her own life has taught her about the dangers of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
Prior to his inspirational speech, “My American Dream,” Young America’s Foundation speaker Dr. Ben Carson meets with Roanoke College students during a campus reception.
among students. Regardless of students’ beliefs, I have been pleased to see that they want to hear arguments and perspectives from these free market giants.
Mastrianna: When bringing YAF’s speakers to their campuses, many students and faculty allies face pushback from administrators and even fellow faculty members. Have you experienced this at Roanoke College, and how have you navigated this?
Kassens: To date, I have been extremely lucky to have supportive administrators, colleagues, and students. Not everyone is supportive, but I seek to highlight the importance of understanding a variety of perspectives for a well-rounded education. Our students have been
most remarkable in their ability to engage in civil discourse regarding challenging topics.
Mastrianna: In addition to your role as director of the Center for Economic Freedom at Roanoke College, you serve on the Board of Advisors of YAF’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise. Why did you accept the invitation from YAF’s president, Governor Scott Walker, to join our board?
Kassens: I was so honored that Governor Walker invited me to join the advisory board. I come from a small college in a small (but beautiful!) part of the country. The fact that Governor Walker believes I have a lot to offer YAF shows his ability to look beyond big names and see value in the smallest places.
Mastrianna: How has your work with the Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise helped you in your role at Roanoke College?
Kassens: I get some great ideas from my colleagues on CEFE’s Board of Advisors for bringing free market speakers and topics to our students, which elevates the contributions of the College’s Center for Economic Freedom in educating our students.
Mastrianna: Many free market advocates feel that academia is a lost cause and are conflicted about having to sacrifice their convictions when entering the teaching profession. What advice can you offer to young
conservatives or libertarians interested in pursuing careers in education?
Kassens: Focus on the students! Young minds are thirsty for a wide range of viewpoints. Instead of trying to change my academic colleagues’ minds, I focus on sharing free market ideas so that Roanoke College students understand them and can decide for themselves, with accurate information, their view of the world.
Mastrianna: On a similar note, what advice would you share with faculty members on other campuses who are interested in teaching and promoting free enterprise?
Kassens: Have a conversation with institutional leadership about the importance of free market ideas on campus. You will likely need their support, especially at the beginning, to push back against faculty members who seek to stop these ideas from being discussed on campus. The Roanoke College administration’s support, which continues to this day, is invaluable.
Mastrianna: Lastly, can you share any feedback for how YAF’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise can become more effective?
Kassens: I left the recent CEFE Board of Advisors meeting at the Reagan Ranch inspired by the students who were attending YAF’s Road to Freedom Seminar, which was taking place concurrently (see page seven)
The students’ enthusiasm for the ideas of economic thinkers like Dr. Laffer—and their appreciation for the accomplishments of President Ronald Reagan—was clear.
I encourage CEFE to continue organizing student conferences like this one and going to more campuses nationwide to reach more young people. We have an immense opportunity to broaden the education of American youth.
Roanoke College Professor of Economics Dr. Alice Kassens welcomes a standing-room-only audience to a campus lecture featuring North Korean defector Yeonmi Park, co-sponsored by Young America’s Foundation.
Andy Puzder
Governor Scott Walker Lt. Col. Allen West Star Parker
In a speech titled “The Seven Core Principles of American Conservatism,” Speaker Mike Johnson encourages the college students attending Young America’s Foundation’s 46th annual National Conservative Student Conference to preserve America’s exceptionalism (see page 19).
