Page 13 - Sojourner Newsletter FALL 2022

Volume 99, Issue 4 13

Dr. Jeff Scott
Mr. Deepak Bhagat

We are pleased to introduce you to the newest members of our Freedoms Foundation team – Dr. Jeff Scott
and Mr. Deepak Bhagat. Jeff is now serving as our new Vice President of Education, and Deepak began on
May 23, 2022, as the Associate Director of Education.

Jeff has been a teacher and administrator in local school systems for many years and has served as a
dedicated member of the Freedoms Foundation Chattanooga chapter in Tennessee, even serving as board
president. In his new role as Vice President of Education, Jeff plans to expand programs for students and
teachers and build a curriculum to go along with those programs offered.

When reflecting on his new position, Jeff shared, “It is my strong belief the Freedoms Foundation at Valley
Forge is the destination for student and teacher civic education development. We want to build the strongest
civic and leadership programs by focusing on the Constitution and Bill of Rights through the historical lens of
people, places, events, and documents of the United States for all learners throughout our country.”

Along with his passion for civic education, Jeff will provide a plethora of experience in the history and civic
field. In his educational career, he has taught history at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and as
an adjunct at the university level. He has also served on several state-level committees regarding U.S. History,
including being part of the four-person team that developed the current U.S. History standards for the state of
Tennessee. Recently, Jeff has participated in the George Washington Teacher Institute, the White House
Teacher Institute, the Rendell Center 1st Amendment Institute, and many others.

After starting in May 2022, Deepak Bhagat began working on the Spirit of America Youth Leadership
Program. In his role, Deepak coordinates the aspects of the program, ensuring each experience carries out its
goal of advancing civic education at the high school level. Deepak joined Freedoms Foundation at Valley
Forge in 2021 as program staff for Spirit of America and quickly became involved in other aspects of the
Foundation’s educational programs.

Prior to working with Freedoms Foundation, Deepak pursued a B.A. in Political Science from American
University, graduating in 2016; and an M.A. in Education and Teacher Leadership from Villanova University,
graduating in 2018. He has taught from elementary through high school in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

“Civic Education is absolutely essential to the core tenets of democracy,” said Deepak. “An informed and
engaged citizenry, beginning with our students, allows us to honor and carry out the promises of our Founding
Fathers in what they envisioned as a nation built on civil discourse, shared experiences, and inherent freedoms
that every citizen has a right and responsibility to hold and preserve.