In this enlightening episode of Restoring Education in America, host Priscilla Rahn connects with Brenda Hafera from the Heritage Foundation to delve into the impactful project of the Heritage Guide to Historic Sites. As America enters its 250th year, we explore how families can privately undertake historical journeys that educate and inspire. Learn how this initiative supports civic education by cataloging historic sites across the country, ensuring they offer accurate and unbiased narratives of America’s past.
Welcome to Restoring Education in America with Priscilla Rahn. She’s a master educator and author, leading the conversation to restore the American mind through wisdom, virtue, and truth.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, hello, everybody. Welcome to Restoring Education in America. I’m your host, Priscilla Rahn, and I am so thrilled that you’ve decided to join the conversation today. I’m loving 2026. It is America’s 250th birthday, And I can’t think of anything more exciting than a new private school that is opening this fall. It’s called Excalibur Classical Academy, and their mission and vision is to restore America’s heritage by developing servant leaders who are keepers and defenders of the principles of freedom for which our founding fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. And if you have a young’un that’s starting kindergarten through third grade this fall, please go to their website to find out more information. It’s ExcaliburClassicalAcademy.org. They’re also hiring some great teachers, so please reach out. But I’m really excited about this conversation today because, like I said, it’s America’s 250th birthday and the Heritage Foundation has some really exciting things going on. And so without further ado, I’m going to bring an amazing person to the stage, Miss Brenda Hafera. Hi, Brenda. How are you? I’m doing great. I am so excited to talk with you about the initiatives that you’re working on. But before we have that conversation, I’m going to share some of your bio with our listeners. So Brenda Hafera is the Assistant Director and Research Fellow in the Heritage Foundation’s B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies. She previously served as the Director of International and Continuing Education at the Fund for American Studies and the Assistant Director of the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good of Villanova University. Brenda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Bachelor of Science in Finance, and a Master’s in Political Science from Villanova University. She was a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute and a James Madison Fellow at Hillsdale College. Her articles have appeared in publications such as Modern Age, The Federalist, Law and Liberty, The National Interest, Real Clear Public Affairs, and The Hill. So thank you again for taking some time out of your day to talk about all this wonderful stuff that you’re doing, Brenda.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, it’s a pleasure to be here.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I know that you’ve written a lot of articles, one of which is The Road to Rediscovering America, Putting Civic Education on the Map. What exactly is the Heritage Guide to Historic Sites, and what problem is it trying to solve for parents, teachers, and families?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. So this is a very exciting product that it’s live now. So we’ve uploaded the first version of this, the 13 original colonies version. But the Heritage Guide to Historic Sites is an online website that pinpoints historic sites all around the country and also evaluates them. So offers them an A, B, C grade based on proportionality, historical accuracy, and ideological bias. So we’ll have at least one site in each state by the time all is said and done. We’re going to unveil that next month. But the target audience is really citizens and families. When you’re planning those summer trips as you should be for america 250 this summer to go to historic sites what do you want to know going into it so it helps orient families of what’s there what are the main tour offerings and exhibits and then has criteria of ideological bias accuracy and comprehension and then also things that are um just resources for families so considerations for families of if you’re going to historic sites some of the exhibits and tours may be accurate but maybe not age appropriate if you have young children and then offering educational resources for folks who want to learn more so books for adults as well as for children sometimes so the two main goals of the project is one please go to historic sites this summer to celebrate this very important birthday that we have coming up because these sites tell the american story through place so it’s anything from edgar allen poe’s house to gettysburg to noah webster’s house you know battlefields all those sorts of very unique historic sites across our country and then the second piece is the accountability piece. So unfortunately, some of these historic sites aren’t telling history accurately anymore. And sometimes they’re doing it in a way that’s quite sneaky. It’s not always obvious when you go there. And especially, most people are going there to learn about something they may not know a great deal about. So we’ve sent evaluators to these historic sites whose backgrounds match the site themselves. So a poet reviewed Edgar Allan Poe’s house, which is lovely because this is something they love and they want to tell you about it and why it’s important. But also then they’re able to identify those inaccuracies or those distortions when they see them. So each site gets an A, B, or C grade based on our evaluators. and the state of these site operations themselves.
SPEAKER 02 :
That is so exciting. I can see this being a homeschool parent’s dream, but also a history teacher’s dream. But I’m a music educator, and I just find this really amazing. I’m actually taking a group of eighth graders on what they call Revolutionary Roots Tour. This May, we’re going to New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. And I’m going to be looking at some of these sites that you mentioned because I want to make sure we hit some of those sites. But when you talk about sending individuals who are in that field to those locations, that brings a lot of credibility to the list that you’re creating. So talk a little bit, Brenda, about your criteria for selecting the locations and how many locations in each state are you striving to make a list of?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. So what we did, we wanted this to be a state-driven project, and we were very cognizant of what would be beneficial for families. So that means that we wanted to favor the state and local sites over the national sites, because we believe in federalism here at the Heritage Foundation, so we didn’t want things to be DC-centric. And the vast majority of families cannot afford to fly to DC to go to a Smithsonian’s, right? And these are places where history really happened, right? So rather than go to these national museums then that bring together history, go to the places where they happened. So we tried to have at least one site in every state. So we put together a list of the most significant and popular sites in each state. And then we took a look at the list as a whole to say, you know, deservedly so, there are many historic sites on Abraham Lincoln. But for this first round, we decided not to include every one because we wanted to tell those different aspects of the American story. So we whittled down and looked at the list holistically. This is a project that we intend to add to over the years. So we’ll have about 135 sites next month. But there’s also a form on the website where anyone can go and say a site has changed since you were last there, recommend another site to evaluate, or if they disagree with our evaluations, they’re welcome to voice that as well. So this is a living, breathing project.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I know this might come as a shock to some of my listeners, but the government doesn’t always get it right. So when we have private organizations like the Heritage Foundation that’s being the tip of the spear for these projects, it really is amazing. And what I find really remarkable is that this is not just another online click and watch a video. This is a project where parents can… get their kids, get in the car, travel to a site and learn about it. So what would that be like? So in Colorado, we have the Molly Brown House. So if I wanted to take my children or my students there, what would be the first step that I would do to access your information?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. So the website is historic sites dot heritage dot org. So everything’s available there. And again, the full map will be up next month. So stay tuned for that. But how we envision people would use this product. One, it’s someone has planned a classroom field trip and you as a parent want to know in advance. You know, is this site accurate? Because there is this problem of museum curators have said explicitly that they know that critical race theory is being taught in classrooms. Parents know that critical race theory has been taught in classrooms. But sometimes they’re not aware that it’s being taught at museums and historic sites. So museum operators see that as a workaround, parents, that they can get critical race theory to kids on these field trips. So if you’re a parent, please go to how we’ve evaluated that to be aware for class field trips. But then when you’re planning trips with your families, it’s a good resource to go in advance just to help orient you of what’s there and then also what to expect. And then when you go on those trips, You know, maybe ask tour guides when there are inaccuracies or problems. Do you plan on fixing this? How do you respond to this critique that we’ve offered? Just to give an example, again, of why that third party accountability piece is so important. There are no exhibits dedicated to James Madison at Montpelier if you go there today. So that’s problematic. But then when you go around the exhibits, they cherry pick facts. So they’d say, for example, that the Constitution is a pro-slavery document. That’s the theory they put forth. And one of the exhibit panels they used to prove that thesis points to the Domestic Violence and Insurrection Clause, which everybody in the time knew was about Shays’ Rebellion, that the federal government was not strong enough to have those basic police powers. And so that’s what called for the Constitutional Convention. So that’s what everyone thought that clause was about. But Montpelier says this clause is primarily about slavery and slave revolts, putting down slave revolts, which of course it would have applied to. But to prove that thesis, they list five slave revolts and three of them occurred after the Constitution was written. So again, it’s really important that we got people who know that particular area of history where they could point out those things that are a little bit underhanded, I would say.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, that’s really beautiful because I know growing up, my father was from South Carolina and I’m a descendant of enslaved Africans. And I know that the more I learned about our history and our founding fathers and our founding documents, the more I fell in love with America because I said, wow, we really overcame so many of the problems in ourselves. You know, like we said, well, we’re Christians. We believe in our inalienable rights, that all men are created equal. And that’s what we grappled with. And that’s why I love our nation so much. And I agree. We really need to have a balanced and fair and accurate description of what happened in our history so that we can be more patriotic and continue this vision and mission that our founding fathers designed for this big experiment we call a republic. Again, a republic. So Brenda, if you’re just tuning in, Brenda Hafera is my guest today. She’s the Assistant Director of the Simon Center for American Studies. We’re talking about all of these wonderful options for parents and educators to take students around historical sites and get accurate information. So, Brenda, when someone says, oh, here’s a site in my state that maybe either isn’t on your list or maybe the information is inaccurate, what is the process for them to reach out to you to rectify that?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. So there’s a form. So the Heritage Guide to Historic Sites includes two main components. There’s the main page with the interactive map that pinpoints historic sites around the country. And you can filter that in different ways. You can filter that by grade, by state, that sort of thing. So that’s the main page. And then each historic site. has its own page with the ideological bias, tour offerings, all the information for that particular site. And at the bottom of each of those pages is a sort of submit your own review feature. It’s a form that says, you know, we think you got it wrong. You should go to this site as well because it’s problematic. Or this site has changed since you were last there and maybe You know, maybe it’s moved up in the grading system. Hopefully it’s not moved down, but that is something that you can go to any of those pages and give us your recommendations.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I would imagine, Brenda, that you have an army of people across the U.S. How do you select people and how do you deploy them? And I’m sure some states, especially if you’re on the East Coast, might have more people, boots on the ground. Can you talk a little bit about your army that you deployed to go to all of these sites?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. So we talked about we tried to select people whose backgrounds match the site themselves because they are different kinds of sites. You have Civil War battlefields. You have revolutionary sites. You have art and literature because all these things make up America, which I think is quite beautiful. I think that’s my favorite aspect of this project. So we picked those people. We ideally picked people who are local, who have been to the site over the years and and could speak to, you know, it’s changed, or they’re just more familiar with it. And we wanted it to be kind of community driven. And then, you know, we had some really prominent, wonderful people agree to be part of this project. So, for example, Speaker Newt Gingrich reviewed Gettysburg, which is just horrific. So we had a lot of academics were involved in the project. He’s obviously both an academic and a political figure, a lot of historians, but some people with military background, which was appropriate, some architects, because there are some of our state capitals in particular are architecturally significant and beautiful, and then some folks who are expert in state history, because there were some state-driven projects. So it’s really quite an array of folks who were involved.
SPEAKER 02 :
Brenda, how long has this project been in existence? Is it new or is it because it’s America’s 250th birthday? Is that the impetus for starting this project?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, it’s brand new. So the original impetus was I wrote a report in 2022 on Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Montpelier called The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with Mount Vernon being the good, Monticello the bad, and Montpelier, unfortunately, the ugly. And that report, there was quite a reaction to it of Monticello’s sort of a mixed bag these days. There’s not as much on Jefferson or the Declaration of Independence. And then Montpelier, I would say, is telling a critical race version of history. They have no exhibits on James Madison. The vast majority of their exhibits are on Montpelier. slavery, race, and Jim Crow, which is a little bit strange because Jim Crow is, of course, well beyond Madison in terms of timeline. So there are some problems there. And so that was the original inspiration for this larger project. because our historic sites are a bit of a crossroads, where many of them are still good, but some of them are straying in an inappropriate direction. So we sort of wanted to stem the tide and do something before they’re fully captured, right? But it is a new product, and we have the 13 original colonies up now. We’ll have the full map. in February in time for parents to plan those summer vacations and those day trips this summer.
SPEAKER 02 :
Boy, this is really timely. And I want to make sure parents know that this information is out there. And I know my dad, he loved road trips. And it’s a wonderful thing to look at the map and go to your website and figure out where you can stop and do a day trip. I think that’s really amazing. But you as a history lover, Brenda, with your work at Heritage, you know, they often emphasize the connection between education and self-government. Where do you see that connection breaking down in our education system today?
SPEAKER 04 :
I mean, for the founders, they understood self-government in two different ways. One is that we, the people, govern, right? That this is a republic. That consent of the governed matters, right? And the people elect their representatives and rule America’s institutions. So that’s one understanding of self-government. The other understanding of self-government for the founders is that we literally govern ourselves. We have a responsibility to do that so that our reason governs our passions and our impulses. And we have a good character, essentially. And both of those things are intertwined, right? Because this is a republic, everybody knew that a republic can’t last long without a virtuous citizenry. So you need self-government. on that individual level, for America to be a self-governing nation. And those two are just so intertwined. And I think that has broken down, unfortunately, in our education system with the state of civic education. And one thing you mentioned earlier, which I wanted to hit on, was I think it’s really important that we get back to embodied in-person interactions in our country. And that’s one of the things I think is vital about going to historic sites, right? They are not on-screen activities. These are activities that you have with your friends and your family and your fellow citizens. And there are things that we share in common, right? We live in very customizable worlds where we stream on Netflix and we have Uber Eats and all these things, and that’s wonderful. But then there’s a breakdown of the experiences that you have as families and citizens, especially across generations. And I think going to historic sites with grandparents, parents and children is one of those unique experiences that is increasingly precious.
SPEAKER 02 :
And Brenda, I think the real encouragement here is that parents don’t have to be experts in history. I know that a lot of us grew up not maybe knowing everything about history or had a history teacher who was a little bit dry. I know I just sat there and took notes, but not a lot got in me. And so this demystifies, takes away some of the barriers for parents and educators to know about and learn about these historical sites because a lot of that information is already on your website. And I think that’s really amazing. So Brenda, talk about some of the financial needs. Nothing’s free. We have to support the Heritage Foundation and all of the work that you’re doing. How are you funded and how can someone support financially the work that you’re doing?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, there is a way that folks can donate through the website. So if you’re willing and able to do that, we appreciate that very much. But Heritage is a nonprofit where our biggest donor is the American people. We get a lot of small donations of people who genuinely care about and want to support our mission.
SPEAKER 02 :
And I am proud to say I am a small monthly donor to the Heritage Foundation, have been for years because I just believe in so much of the work that you all are doing. And every time I meet someone like you, I meet someone else and it’s like, oh my goodness, the work that Heritage is doing is so extensive. It’s just not one little thing. You have your experts in all of these different fields with boots on the ground who have so much knowledge. So going back to your background, Brenda, you’ve worked across higher education. You’ve done policy research in civic education. What originally drew you to the study of American institutions in education?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I studied American political thought. I went to Villanova University. And there is an institution there called the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good. So there are these centers on college campuses that have cropped up. Some of them are state funded. Some of them are privately funded. This is the privately funded one that wants to provide a rigorous liberal education and civic education and sometimes push back. against the education that is provided at the university level or at least provide more of a balance there since so many of our institutions have gone quite left and many of the teachers are quite left and might not even be willing to have open conversations and so i was very fortunate that i got involved with that center and they brought in they have a student group and they brought in guest lecturers and sometimes hosted course offerings so that is how i really got i would say a proper education and i’m so grateful for that but it really i started studying political philosophy i started studying the ancients and then i was introduced to a founding scholar who We’re still very close friends. She was a wonderful mentor and took me through the Lincoln-Douglas debates. And we read Madison’s notes from the Constitutional Convention, which I think is so incredibly important to read primary source documents. Because that’s when you read what the founders actually wrote and try to understand them. the way they understood themselves. It gives you an appreciation, as you talked about earlier, of what they were dealing with and how remarkable they were. And also alerts you to when people are telling bad versions of history, because you know what the primary source documents say. So I was very, very grateful for that. So that from my educational standpoint, that’s how I grew to love American political thought. But I grew up, I think, in a similar household to you. My father took us to Gettysburg. I grew up in Pennsylvania. And that’s the trip I first remember of going to a historic site is going to Gettysburg. and looking at the cyclorama and how neat that was. And he said, when we took that trip, you know, next time we should come and we should spend six days.
SPEAKER 03 :
So we can trace the battle three days from the Union side and three days from the Confederate side. So I got it both from the educational side and from the family I was raised in.
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s awesome. I think that, you know, having a parent that would take you, that’s why I think parents really need to take advantage of this year because you never know what you can spark in your children, their interest and their excitement and their love for our country. And, you know, I have a funny story when you say Lincoln-Douglas debate. Yeah. I thought it was Douglas L-A-S-S. And I said, well, this isn’t spelled right. They didn’t spell his last name correctly. And a historian said, different Douglas. So, you know, it’s okay. This is part of learning the journey. We can learn about… Because there is a connection between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. And it’s a beautiful story. So but there’s just so much to learn. So, Brenda, my show is called Restoring Education in America. In your mind, what do we need to do to restore education in America?
SPEAKER 04 :
we at heritage and certainly i agree with this are great advocates of school choice of putting parents really in charge of their children’s education because parents are that accountability piece and they love their children right the government does not love your children in the way parents love their children and care about their character formation so we think that should be driven by the parents That, I think, is an incredibly important component of how to get back to education in America. Another thing I would say that is some hope is we tend to think of education just as the classroom. And I think this conversation we’ve had proves that it’s not simply about the classroom, that parents can find other ways of educating their children, that going to historic sites, for example, is public education, right? That is telling the American story through place. So trying to find those ways to supplement the public education system, if the public education system is what you’ve gone with, and homeschooling networks, seeing those grow and charter schools grow. I think there’s a lot of hope in there. Those are very positive signs.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, Brenda Hafera, assistant director and fellow at the Simon Center for American Studies. Thank you so much for giving of your time. And I would encourage parents to go to the Heritage. Actually, can you share the website one more time?
SPEAKER 04 :
Historic sites that heritage dot org.
SPEAKER 02 :
OK, that’s the website that you need to go to to learn more to my listeners. Thanks so much for tuning in and catch me next time. And remember, educating the mind without the heart is no education. So seek wisdom, cultivate virtue and speak truth.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thanks for tuning in to Restoring Education in America with Priscilla Ron. Visit PriscillaRon.com to connect or learn how you can sponsor future episodes to keep this message of faith, freedom, and education on the air.
