Dear High School Principal,
We have been asked to provide more details on the following: how Americans All is structured; the nature of our business model; and the best way to begin implementing the pilot.
Our Structure
The People of America Foundation, a 501 (c) nonprofit, was created in October 1995 to become the parent organization of Americans All, at that time a national education program developed in the 1980s to recognize and honor the contributions of different immigrant groups to our nation’s growth. In August 2013, we created the Americans All Benefit Corporation to handle outreach and operations. A benefit corporation is a business entity with a dual purpose: promoting the public good and making a profit. The unique feature of our benefit corporation is that we are not profit-driven since we do not have stockholders, and distribute 80 percent of our gross revenues to schools and their communities.
Our Business Model
We use a modified version of the one used by the American Automobile Association (AAA). By paying an annual fee, AAA members can access benefits generated internally by AAA plus external benefits in the form of discounts from travel-related companies, such as hotels, rental cars, insurance, and cruises. In our model, lifetime membership in Americans All is free, and members and their families gain access to our existing and future resources. Moreover, for the first year, they also receive a free membership in our Social Legacy Network, which is managed by our benefit corporation. This entitles them to access discounts on goods and services from all participating local businesses and professional service providers that have registered for our program and paid a nominal fee. Business members cannot access our members’ contact information; they only know how many “anonymous” members we have in each Zip Code. The more members we have, the more valuable supporting Americans All becomes to a business partner.
After their trial period, Social Legacy Network members and their families can opt to continue receiving discounts by paying a $4 monthly fee, 80 percent of which is distributed to schools and their communities. If members do not feel that they are earning more in discounts than their monthly fee, they can opt out, but they never lose their benefits as members of Americans All.
We do not identify, endorse, support or recommend any individual local business or professional service provider. However, we encourage all local entities to join Americans All to support the school of their choice or the district they are in. They cannot advertise directly to our members but can use our posters and their regular outreach to show that they actively support our program and make their business or practice more welcoming to our members through that.
How to Implement the Americans All Pilot in High Schools
Once approval is given by the principal, the first step is for the school to appoint a program coordinator to notify students and their families about Americans All. We will work with the coordinator to create whatever he/she needs. Americans All is designed to be owned and implemented on a countywide level and can be easily modified to conform to existing school structures. Even if the program is currently approved for use in a county, the program still needs a way to directly contact each school’s principal to notify him/her about the opportunities and benefits available in Americans All. We will work with the coordinator to create whatever he/she needs.
Only the principal can determine which school administrators should be involved in implementing the program. Generally—and titles may vary—it will be the staff that handles activities/athletics, the SSL program, relationships with the PTSA, and the yearbook. Although not designed specifically for academic use, the program has an exceptional Ellis Island Simulation Workshop, which was initially created by the MCPS Aesthetic Education Department, Interrelated ARTS Program.
Once the principal’s approval is received, the first step is to select a point of contact to register the school for Americans All, so he/she can first create the school’s Legacy Partner landing page and then its story for the Heritage Honor Roll (which can be completed over time). It can be an experienced individual in the school’s yearbook staff (or community outreach staff) because those offices should have all the information needed for the school’s annual story and its photograph montage. The text for both the landing page and the legacy story can be taken directly from existing publications. Next, a notice about the program should be put in the school’s communication networks to make students, teachers, and parents aware of the program and its value to the students.
The SSL coordinator can use students wanting an in-school project for their community service requirement or from one of the school’s service clubs to gain this type of experience. Students can use the storytelling tool to demonstrate their understanding and appreciation for the value of community service and volunteerism by helping others less skilled create and publish their stories, thus enriching the history of their communities. This will reinforce that SSL is not just a "thing" they need to do to graduate, but an exercise that helps them develop as a person while reinforcing the values of diversity and respect, and promoting tolerance, acceptance, empathy, and understanding.
Because they represent a large number of students, athletic team coaches can help their teams create an annual, permanent record of all their players, augmented by photographs and audio-visual media. Each team will also need to create its own annual Legacy Partner landing page to host the stories. If a team does not have its own email address, it can get a free one from this list—https://www.guru99.com/best-free-email-service-providers.html, or it can add one or more alias’ to the school’s email address. Students applying for college or the workforce can use stories to help showcase their talents, attaching their own highlight videos or other well-written narratives to their stories.
Students will find it easy to start creating their stories. Our story template only requires individuals to fill in a name, date of birth and a summary not to exceed 60 words. Additional story text, hyperlinks, photographs and audio-visual media can be added over time and the subject can be changed at any time. The story does not have to be completed in one session. All previous versions of the story are archived. Moreover, stories can be published in multiple languages. Only the student can edit the story, and half of a story can be privacy protected with a second password.
For smaller groups, the academic advisory or club president can enable them to determine, in addition to creating a permanent annual record of their members, how the program can be used to expand their current missions and activities. Business-oriented clubs could play a role in notifying local businesses, cottage industries, and professional service providers about the advantages of becoming Americans All Business Legacy Partners and could gain experience helping businesses attract a larger audience for their goods and services (which will provide revenue to the schools). Also, the more “anonymous” members we have in each Zip Code is a further stimulus to gain business support.
Finally, PTSAs support schools in getting both unrestricted funds and resources. Americans All can fill this dual role. Many of the school’s families are in a business or are a service provider and can use this program as an inexpensive vehicle to gain additional exposure and reach a larger audience for their entities. Families can also use this tool to pass on knowledge and experiences to current and future generations. Without this information, children will have a difficult time understanding their roots and the history behind their ethnic and cultural identities.
We look forward to hearing back from you to discuss how we can bring the benefits of Americans All to your school, its students, and their families.
Allan Kullen, President ■ People of America Foundation / Americans All
7723 Groton Road ■ Bethesda, MD 20817 ■ 301-520-8242
www.americansall.org ■ [email protected]