A Reagan Forum Podcast itunes@reaganfoundation.org (Reagan Foundation)

For today’s Reagan Forum podcast, we are going behind the scenes to share some of the inside stories of what we do here at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. The Reagan Library opened on November 4, 1991, but the groundbreaking was held three years earlier, in November 1988. November 21, 2023, marked the 35th anniversary of the groundbreaking of the Reagan Library and Museum. To commemorate the day, the Foundation put together a video of how the Library was built and why Simi Valley was chosen.

On March 20, 2024, the Reagan Institute held its second annual National Security Innovation Base Summit in Washington, D.C. The event convened prominent thought leaders, current and former public officials, investors, and representatives of the most innovative industry and technology companies to discuss the important issues facing our annual National Security Innovation Base ecosystem. The program also unveiled the second iteration of its groundbreaking National Security Innovation Base Report Card which measures the health, effectiveness, and resilience of this ecosystem and provides recommendations for improvement. The program’s keynote was the Honorable Kathleen Hicks, the 35th Deputy Secretary of Defense. Following her remarks, she sat down in conversation with Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim.

During his farewell address to the nation on January 11, 1989, President Reagan said, “An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?” Today, the Reagan Institute’s Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity stands at the nexus of civics and education policy answering President Reagan’s call for an “informed patriotism” to ensure for a prosperous future for America. Educators and organizations committed to civic learning and engagement often feel hesitant, fearing they'll be labeled political. Meanwhile, parents may wonder about the distinction between active participation and advocacy, and whether their child's teacher is equipped to navigate these waters. To discuss these topics, the Reagan Institute held an online forum on March 13, 2024, specifically to discuss how to foster informed and engaged citizens in today's polarized climate. The panel took a deep dive into the nuances of "active citizenship" versus "activist citizenship," exploring how these concepts intersect and sometimes clash in educational settings.

Just a few days ago, the nation celebrated April Fool’s Day. Although the day has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar (which begins its new year around April 1 each year) to the Gregorian calendar (which begins its new year on January 1 each year). People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” Today it’s become a day for pranks, hoaxes, and jokes. And no one loved a good joke more than President Reagan. So we thought we’d spend today’s Reagan Forum podcast celebrating the best of President Reagan and his humor.

On March 8, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted a virtual event with bestselling author Craig Shirley. Craig Shirley is the author of four critically praised bestselling books on President Reagan, Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All, Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign that Changed America, Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan, and Reagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980. He joined us on March 8 to discuss his latest book on Ronald Reagan, The Search for Reagan: The Appealing Intellectual Conservatism of Ronald Reagan. The new book chronicles what Craig Shirley believes is the untold secret of Reagan's success: strong moral compassion and the vast but underrated intellect of a philosopher-president. "A true leader has a moral, physical, and intellectual presence," Craig said. He continued, “I was in the room with Reagan many, many times. He was always the one person in the room who was the moral, physical, and intellectual leader." During the program, Craig Shirley sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller.

At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, our education programs are dedicated to cultivating the next generation of citizen leaders. Each year, we work with thousands of teachers and tens of thousands of students from across the country to help foster the engaged, informed citizens that President Reagan knew were so vital to a healthy America. In keeping with our vision of promoting civic engagement, on February 26, 2024 we were honored to once again partner with the Simi Valley Youth Council to present the annual Youth Town Hall. At the Youth Town Hall, Ventura County middle and high school students have the opportunity to hear public officials discuss local and statewide civic matters ranging from education to policy-making. To maximize participation, student attendees can pose their questions in person or share their concerns anonymously via social media.