Donald L Koch on the Founders Documents Today (Part 1 of 2) On September 17, 2012, the U.S.

Constitution celebrated the 225th anniversary of its ratification. Donald L Koch, a businessman who founded the Koch Charitable Foundation to increase knowledge of our nations founding documents, answered questions about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and their importance in todays political climate. Question: Why do you think its important to educate youth about our founding documents? Koch: The founding documents form the underpinnings of our civic and political culture. Unfortunately, many young people graduate from high school with only a vague knowledge of civics and government. According to recent surveys, one-third of high school students never learned about the Constitution. Only 27 percent of fourth graders understand why we have a constitution. Todays students are tomorrows voters. Question: But isnt this obsession with the constitution limited to conservatives and libertarians? Koch: It shouldnt be. As Americans, we often forget that the reason we can live, choose, and prosper is because the founding fathers carefully set up the structures that support our way of life. When we neglect to teach the next generation about these documents, were doing them a great disservice. In the second part of this article, Donald L Koch will discuss his foundations specific initiatives.