ORGANIZATION

The Public Education Project (PEP) is a partner organization of the Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG).

The Public Education Project was born after an exploratory meeting in October 2018 of four experienced, senior historical professionals and long time SHFG members. Judson MacLaury, Lee Ann Potter, Mike Reis, and Don Ritchie (see ID’s below) were deeply concerned about the widespread lack of knowledge of the U.S. government and its history. Laying long-term plans for impactful educational efforts, they began by producing a pilot project of short historical videos about three federal agencies for distribution to the public. Initially formed as a committee under the aegis of the Society for History in the Federal Government, in August 2022 the PEP incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization. PEP is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and can accept tax-deductible contributions.

MISSION

The Public Education Project seeks to reframe federal government history and promote the American public’s interest in, and understanding of, the story of their government. PEP reimagines that history as the cumulative work of a mosaic of diverse agencies and offices—guided by the president, the Congress, and the courts—taking action to meet the broad scope of the nation’s needs. We believe that exploring and gaining knowledge of the past is a powerful way to correct built-up negative attitudes and misinformation and open the door to critical and objective thinking about all of our government’s offices. We seek through our programs and initiatives to contribute to ongoing national efforts to promote informed civic engagement and greater trust in government.