S.Amdt. 6215

SA 6215, submitted by Mr. Kennedy, aims to add a section to bill S. 4784 focused on the development and dissemination of civic education curriculum and oral history resources.

The purpose of this amendment is to help families, civic institutions, local communities, local educational agencies, high schools, and State educational agencies prepare high school students to be knowledgeable and civically responsible adults. Specifically, it aims to ensure high school students:

• Learn that communism caused more than 100,000,000 deaths worldwide.
• Understand the dangers of communism and similar political ideologies.
• Understand that 1,500,000,000 people still suffer under communism.

To achieve this, the amendment requires the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to:

• Create a civic education curriculum for high school students that is accurate, relevant, and accessible. This curriculum will include a comparative discussion of ideologies like communism and totalitarianism that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding of the United States. It must also be compatible with courses such as economics, government, history, and social studies.
• Develop oral history resources called "Portraits in Patriotism" featuring personal stories from diverse individuals who are victims of these political ideologies, demonstrate civic-minded qualities, and can compare those ideologies with the political ideology of the United States.
• Work with local and State educational leaders to help high schools use these resources and the curriculum.