Plant a Liberty Tree

At a time when only 3 percent of Americans can name the five freedoms of the First Amendment and a surprising number support government limits on freedom of expression, a new initiative is being launched to help raise awareness of these fundamental freedoms on America’s college campuses and you are invited to participate.

The Liberty Tree Campus Initiative, funded by a grant from the McCormick Foundation, will award colleges $5,000 to develop thought-provoking First Amendment programs .

“The Liberty Tree Initiative is a remarkable partnership that taps into the energy of the First Amendment and the insights of experts, academic leaders, artists, musicians and journalists,” according to Ken Paulson, former editor of USA Today and now president of the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Paulson is a driving force behind the initiative, designed to continue the tradition of constructive and collegial conversations about freedom started by America’s earliest patriots under an elm tree near the Boston Commons.

For the full guidelines and instructions on how to apply for the grant, contact Sandi Chance (schance@jou.ufl.edu) or Jon Bougher (jbougher@ufl.edu).