Civics Playbookizzit.org
- Mission: To provide our educational partners with resources that inspire students to think critically and flourish in a free society.
- Geographic Focus: Nationwide
- Audience: K-12 educators, students and the general public
- Budget: $1.6 million
- Focus Areas and Core Competencies:
- High-caliber content built by teachers for teachers
- An effective distribution network to reach educators and inspire students to think critically
Empowering Teachers to Spark Curiosity About Freedom and Character
Impact Statement
In its inaugural year, izzit.org’s Teacher Ambassador Program hosted professional development sessions for 1,750 educators, reaching over 100,000 students and accumulating 20 seasoned ambassadors who share izzit.org’s civic resources in classrooms nationwide.
A Conversation with Robert Chatfield, President and Chief Executive Officer of Free To Choose Network and izzit.org
Q: What is the mission/work of your organization? What problem(s) in civics education is your nonprofit working to solve?
izzit.org is the educational affiliate of Free to Choose Network. We believe that the foundation of a free and prosperous society begins in the classroom. Our mission is to ensure that students across the nation are taught the essential American values of free-market capitalism, responsible citizenship and constitutional principles. Now more than ever, we are passionate about introducing young people to these foundational ideals through powerful, engaging educational material.
Our team at izzit.org equips educators with innovative, high-quality resources that inspire students to think critically and embrace the values that sustain freedom: capitalism, personal responsibility, property rights and the rule of law. Through compelling video content—thanks to our decades of creating award-winning Free to Choose Media documentaries—and accessible classroom tools, we bring these ideas to life and prepare educators to lead thought-provoking classroom discussions that spark curiosity in millions of students nationwide.
Q: Does your organization have any upcoming programs or events planned in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States (A250th)?
izzit.org teacher ambassadors are currently hosting professional development sessions for educators in connection with America’s 250th celebration.
Civics Fundamentals.org is our first-to-market, standards-aligned video course designed to teach the civics knowledge every American should possess, leading up to A250 and beyond. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently updated the civics portion of the naturalization test, effective October 20, 2025, to include 128 questions.
Civics Fundamentals videos, quizzes, and course materials align with the new test format. Students, people wanting to pass the U.S. Citizenship Test and all civics learners can join host Douglas H. Ginsburg, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Washington, D.C., on a journey through the fundamentals of U.S. civics, including American history, the Constitution and the branches of government.
izzit.org has released the first new video of Season 3 of “Pups of Liberty: Short Tails.” Pups of Liberty is a series of animated short films that bring the American Revolutionary War and the founding era to life. The episodes follow historical figures reimagined as dogs, blending authentic historical events with timeless character virtues.
Pups of Liberty has built a strong following with over 52,000 followers, 1.1 million likes and eight million views on TikTok, as well as more than one million views on YouTube.
Season 3 debuts in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This four-part series, comprised of three-minutes episodes, is set in a colonial print shop and follows Anne as she reprints key historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Washington’s Farewell Address.
Each reprint serves as a framing device for flashbacks that highlight pivotal moments in American history, from Valley Forge to the end of Washington’s presidency. These flashbacks connect each document to its historical context, weaving familiar and new characters into an interconnected narrative across the series. Every episode concludes with a brief documentary segment that links the animated animal characters to the real figures they represent.
Q: How do you describe the big goals your organization is working to achieve? How do you measure impact?
Our big goal is to expand the Teacher Ambassador Program to 100 ambassadors by 2029, so that we can reach hundreds of thousands more students. We measure mission impact through ambassador feedback, surveys, outreach metrics and material-use metrics.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges your organization has experienced working to accomplish its mission? How did your organization overcome those challenges?
We faced one of our greatest challenges with the transition from DVDs to streaming. Since 2006, more than 456,000 educators have registered for free accounts on our website, where they could request free DVDs from our vast catalog of civics, social studies, financial literacy and economics education materials. As technology evolved and classroom needs shifted, we recognized the importance of making our content more accessible, flexible and interactive.
To meet this challenge, izzit.org developed the 45-Minute Lesson, created by teachers for teachers. Each lesson includes a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation featuring an izzit.org video, embedded discussion questions, classroom activities and a critical thinking question designed to help students consider the philosophy behind the video. Educators also have access to built-in quizzes and assessment tools.
Since September 2024, izzit.org has released 68 new 45-Minute Lessons, resulting in 31,000 downloads, with 45% of educators returning to download an additional resource.
Q: What are your organization’s biggest needs? How can philanthropists help your organization achieve its goals?
We are continuing to scale our Teacher Ambassador Program. Each year, every izzit.org ambassador commits to engaging at least 50 educators, each of whom teaches between 60 and 66 students. According to an izzit.org survey, educators who use our materials continue to incorporate them into their classrooms for at least three years, reaching roughly 200 students in that time.
This means each ambassador’s impact multiplies exponentially. A single izzit.org Teacher Ambassador can influence between 18,000 and 19,800 students over three years. This is an extraordinary reach compared to the 200 students an individual teacher might otherwise impact. Our ultimate goal is to continue and expand this one-to-20,000 ratio: one teacher ambassador can impact 20,000 students.
With increased support for our Teacher Ambassadors, we can reach even more students during the crucial years when they are forming their ideas, character and an understanding of freedom.
Q: Beyond your organization, where should philanthropists who care about advancing civic knowledge and education invest their charitable dollars?
For America’s 250th anniversary, we are proud to partner with Sphere, the Jack Miller Center and America250 initiatives like Common Cause To All, all with a shared commitment to strengthening K–12 education and civic understanding.
Contact Our Team
Contact the Roundtable’s Programs team to learn more about this investment opportunity.