Constituton Project, Inc.

The Mission: Constitution Project, Inc., a Florida non-profit, was founded by Joseph Cofield, for the purpose of putting a copy of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence in the hands of every 5th grade student in Florida. That is a huge task, as there are over 200,000 5th graders in 67 different Florida counties, but progress ​ is being made thanks to Joseph's extraordinary efforts!

The How: Joseph began his mission in April 2014 and since then, many amazing things have happened. To gather support for his mission, in April of 2015 he began his 27 - 67 Journey Across Florida - visiting each of the 67 Florida counties, riding his bike 21 miles and running 6 in each county (one mile for each of the 27 Amendments). That is over 1,800 difficult miles meeting with state and county officials, school personnel and service organizations.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

One of the greatest weeks of my life...

April 24, 2016

The week of April 17-23, 2016 was perhaps one of the greatest weeks of my life!

I am going to share with you the email that I sent to some superintendents, school districts leadership officials, supporters of our 27 - 67 Constitution projects and stakeholders.

I will explain in my next blog why I was so upbeat this week and believe that we will accomplish the mission of getting those Constitution booklets to the youth of Florida before the end of this school year.






The message in it entire format:
 
Many have asked how is the progress of getting those Constitution booklets in the hands of our 200,000 fifth grade students in Florida coming along.

Since, I just celebrated the Anniversary of the start of the “Journey Across Florida” to promote the Constitution on April 20, 2016.

Thus, I decided to keep everyone abreast of the progress until the last school district in Florida closes for the 2015-2016 school year.

I am very happy to report with the help of the wonderful supporters of Gilchrist County and especially Superintendent Rob Rankin and Captain Sheryl Brown, Sheriff Department of Gilchrist County, along with the Steering Committee and the Rotary Club Naples Collier we were able to get Constitution booklets in the following locations so far in the month of April:

Update as of April 24, 2016

  1. Levy County           - 418
  2. Suwannee County  – 438
  3. Columbia County   – 785
  4. Dixie County            - 123
Total 1,764 more students with United States Constitution booklets.

With the support of Dr. Sean Forman and Barry University and the Steering Committee members of the Florida Liberty Day Institute 300 Constitution booklets were donated to the elementary schools of the Miami Dade Public Schools District. Those hard working Steering Committee members decided to adopt three of the seven elementary schools near Barry University; which now allows the college students to work with the educators and fifth grade students of the seven elementary schools.

It is our hope that others will step up and join in helping the Miami Dade Public Schools District reach their goal of getting those 25,666 Constitution booklets in the hands of their fifth grade elementary students.

1.       Benjamin Franklin K-8 Center

2.       Gratigny Elementary

3.       Hubert O. Sibley K-8 Center

4.       Lakeview Elementary

5.       Miami Shores Elementary  - 110 fifth grade students (Adopted by Joseph Cofield and Steering Committee of Florida Liberty Day)

6.       Phyllis Ruth Miller Elementary

7.       William J. Bryan Elementary

The other 190 booklets will be donated to two other elementary schools adopted by the Steering Committee!

I deeply appreciate all the support of everyone and I especially want to give a very special thanks to Dorothy Spradley, District Volunteer/Education Marketing Coordinator Columbia County School District, for coordinating getting those 785 Constitution booklets to the educators and fifth grades students of the Columbia County School District.

In addition, I want to thank Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd and her Personal Secretary Edwina Hall, Polk County Public Schools District, for the great support during my visit to Polk County on Thursday, April 21, 2016. It is this type of wonderful support and commitment to their students which makes me continue to believe that we will achieve the mission of getting those Constitution booklets in the hands of the entire 200,000 fifth grade student population in Florida.

We now have over half of the 67 Counties which have made the commitment and I am very happy to say that Collier County and the neighboring Counties of Lee, Charlotte, Henry, Glades, Okeechobee, Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto have made the commitment for the entire region.
 
It is indeed with great pride each of these school districts have put up a unified front in their commitment to the students in the entire region. I am now equally proud to say because Gilchrist County led the way many of the other neighboring counties are attempting to say the same about their commitment within their region.

A very thanks to Lawana Walden, Bethune Cookman University, and Superintendent James Russell for implementing the same type program as Barry University as the college students are going out in May and work with the educators and students of the Volusia County Public Schools District. I do hope that this becomes a model for the other school districts across Florida as truly this is a great concept of K-12 and the Higher Educational Institutions working hand in hand for the total success of all the students.  
 
This is truly a great day to be excited about the future of our students and the mastery they are having with the United States Constitution. I believe and I hope that you share this belief as well with great progress on the start of their life-long journey in being productive citizens.

Again thanks for the support of each of you for making a difference.

I wish you a great week because you each made my past week one of the greatest in my life.

Joseph

 
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