We hope you enjoy these top news stories about TFAS activities, alumni and events this week. Please visit us on social media for additional up-to-the-moment TFAS news and information and sign up to receive weekly updates.
TFAS alumni, staff and faculty continue to make headlines. Read news, analysis and updates by visiting this week’s “Quick Links.”
From Student to Teacher: FTE Equips Youth with Tools for the Future
“I first heard about Economics for Leaders back in high school in Kansas, so I applied on a whim to the week-long program at the University of Nebraska and it ended up being one of the most incredible experiences of my life. After that, I never wanted to stop.”
This is how Broderick Topil, FTE ’14, explains his first encounter with TFAS high school division, the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE), seven years ago. Topil attended the Economics for Leaders (EFL) program in the summer of 2014, traveled to Washington for the D.C. Leadership Academy program the following summer, and became a program coordinator shortly after that. Now he’s teaching high school math classes with Teach for America and is completing his master of education with courses offered through FTE’s programs for teachers.
Among the 17 programs Topil has participated in so far, he recently attended a three-day seminar in Ohio on international trade, the economics of disasters and the federal budget, where he learned from the instructors he works with during the summer as a program coordinator.
This interconnection has given Topil a “full circle” moment. He, along with many other program participants, formed lifelong relationships through FTE. He is still friends with one student from his first program in 2014, and he developed a close friendship with another alumna he met in his Teach for America cohort.
“The best thing that’s come out of my involvement with FTE in all respects is that I’ve created this massive network of people who all have one shared understanding, and that is the economic way of thinking,” Topil said. “They’ve gone through the FTE programs, I’ve done programs with them, some are my students, others are the staff. I know so many of these people who have gone through FTE programs, and I just feel very at home with them.”
Learn more about Topil’s journey at TFAS.org/TopilFeature.
TFAS President Roger Ream Shares Perspective on Young Americans in New Op-Ed
Over the past three decades, TFAS President Roger Ream ’76 has seen thousands of students come through TFAS Academic Internship Programs in Washington, D.C. These young leaders today are just as ambitious and intellectually curious as the students of years’ past, but Ream has noticed several key differences in their understanding of our country and in their preparation for the future.
In an op-ed for The American Spectator, Ream opines that many students today may no longer understand the importance of free speech – a principle that TFAS remains committed to teaching to rising generations.
“A sizeable number prioritize inclusivity over free speech, while many support “canceling” those who express unorthodox or opposing viewpoints,” Ream shares. “At TFAS, we promote an absolute commitment to seeking truth through the free exchange of ideas in an open and civil learning environment.”
At TFAS, we promote an absolute commitment to seeking truth through the free exchange of ideas in an open and civil learning environment.” – TFAS President Roger Ream ’76 in The American Spectator
Ream also believes that it is the duty of organizations like TFAS to teach students the value of our country’s founding principles in order to ensure the longevity of these important ideas.
“As a society, we must nurture young people’s innate understanding that the country of their mothers and fathers is a force for good in the world, both today and throughout history,” Ream writes. “We must do a better job of explaining which ideas and institutions lead to prosperity and human flourishing, as well as the importance of rejecting the notion that government can be expected to be both wise and benevolent in directing human activity… By doing so, we can ensure the unique American spirit will survive for generations to come.”
Read more of Ream’s insights in The American Spectator.
Economics Lesson of the Week: Inflation and Unemployment
TFAS provides resources to help teachers and parents continue the important task of educating our nation’s future leaders. Our “Economics Lesson of The Week” series features new lessons from our high school programming division – the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE) – each week.
This week’s lesson is “Inflation and Unemployment.” It goes beyond the data and terminology of measuring inflation and unemployment to look at the impact of changes in the levels of prices and employment on individuals and the economy. By acknowledging the continuity of change, focusing on how change redefines winners and losers in the economy, and by pointing out that things are not always what they seem, lessons on employment and inflation can demonstrate how an economics education adds value to people’s lives.
Visit TFAS.org/FTELessons for a one-stop guide to our available resources.
Post of the Week
One year ago this week we lost a friend, mentor and leader in John Farley. John guided hundreds of young journalists through the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship program for more than 20 years, as both a mentor and a friend. It is due to John’s support and dedication that several generations of journalists are among the most prominent in the profession today.
Following the announcement of his death last year and in recognition of John’s impact, TFAS renamed our annual Novak Alumni Fund Fellowship in his honor. With support of alumni and friends, we are proud to continue the John Farley Alumni Fund Fellowship and help continue John’s legacy into the future of journalism. To read more about Farley’s legacy and the Fellowship, visit TFAS.org/Farley.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue to share more about the impact and legacy of John and the John Farley Alumni Fund Fellowship.
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QUICK LINKS
TFAS Outreach Fellows Jorge Galicia and Andrés Guilarte will be speaking at a virtual event for the Heritage Foundation on Wednesday, April 7.
TFAS Director of International and Continuing Education Programs Brenda Hafera published an op-ed on “The Case for American Femininity” in American Greatness.
TFAS Grewcock Senior Scholar Dr. Don Devine is interviewed by the Mises Institute’s The Human Action Podcast on his new book, “The Enduring Tension.”
Ryan Lovelace, Novak ’17, reports for The Washington Times on the increase in smartphone usage throughout the pandemic.
Rym Momtaz ’05, ’07 has a cover story for POLITICO Europe on French president Emmanuel Macron’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Alexandra Hudson, Novak ’19, spoke on the importance of recognizing the humanity and dignity of those around us at a Braver Angels panel on America’s Public Forum. Read her recap of the program, where she explores the nature of friendship and its potential to heal our divides today.
Josh Holdenreid, PPF ’18, has an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal on tech censorship of religious organizations and individuals.
Rym Momtaz ’05, ’07 cohosts an episode of POLITICO’s EU Confidential podcast.
Read about TFAS Outreach Fellow and Venezeulan asylum seeker Jorge Galicia’s recent talk on the dangers of socialism at the University of Kansas in a post on Instagram.
Eliora Katz, PPF ’19, writes about how the “American narrative” can serve as a reminder of strength and freedom in a piece for Forward.
Haley Britzky ’16 writes about her experience taking the Army Combat Fitness Test in Task & Purpose.
Charles McElwee, Novak ’20, discusses the legacy of the late Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania in a piece for RealClearPolitics.
TFAS Trustee Emeritus Mitch Daniels discusses predictions about remote work in The Washington Post.
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