We as humans have stitched our lives so perfectly together, and we’ve work hard to get where we always wanted to. Now that we’ve reached till here, one thing that we need to look back is history. History and education seeks to preserve and promote an understanding of the nation’s past. Business Leaders here, can support historical research and educational resources to become a well-informed citizen. The goal here is to enhance the overall educational experience for students and educators.
Shaping the future of education in the US, Patrick Riccards works hard to ensure that this notion is embedded at Driving Force Institute. Patrick has produced more than 500 short films that tells the untold history of America. It is because of the team efforts the distribution channels have reached more than 50 million users today.
Captivated by History
Personally, Patrick is captivated by history. His interest and knowledge in the subject has made him a better leader, a better builder, a better advocate, a better father, and better citizen. He believes in thinking like an historian, constantly probing issues and refusing to accept the simple answers. The leader has worked hard to ensure that this notion is embedded in DFI’s DNA and is part of everything the team does.
Revolutionizing History Education
DFI was launched because of a national survey it conducted, finding that fewer than four in 10 Americans could pass a basic multiple choice American history test. It felt an obligation to do what as it could to improve the teaching and learning of history. Four years later, the team still feels that obligation. It has learned from the setbacks and built upon the successes.
DFI isn’t the first company to use video as a teaching tool, but it is using it in innovative ways. Knowing the complexity of American history, there is no content that scares it off. Patrick wants to continue to inspire learning and exploration and reflection and understanding.
Teaching and Learning of American History
The Driving Force Institute is focused on transforming the teaching and learning of American history, using short-form, and provocative video to make the nation’s history more interesting and relevant to today’s learners. DFI wants every learner thinking like an historian, exploring topics, asking questions, pushing back, and constantly seeking new information.
Patrick says, “The problem today is not whether we are teaching history or not. We are. Virtually every high school student in the nation has to pass a U.S. history class to graduate. The problem is HOW we teach it is boring and irrelevant to Gen Z … and many, many others. DFI seeks to show all learners WHY history matters and WHY they should care”.
500 Films and Counting
To date, Patrick has produced more than 500 short films that tell the “untold history” of USA. DFI, along with the production partner Makematic, worked with an incredible group of partners to create engaging content and develop the distribution channels to reach more than 50 million users today. The team at DFI succeeded because they aren’t afraid to tackle to messy, dark, challenging realities of the nation’s history. Patrick created relevant content by focusing on the roles of the BIPOC community and women in the development of the country. But there is still much work to be done.
Later this year, DFI embarks on a new phase in the work, Essentials. The challenge now is how to build a core video curriculum that comprehensively tells the story of its 250 years. The data is clear that today’s learners aren’t learning history through the traditional textbooks. These lessons are so important that he feels an obligation to build the video content that connects with today’s learners, and effectively teaches the essential history all Americans should know.
Collaborative Strength for Impactful Storytelling
DFI is built on collaboration. It has partnered with video production company Makematic because the skill sets complement, rather than compete, with each other. The organization has joined with content partners such as New-York Historical Association, American Battlefield Trust, Smithsonian, Bill of Rights Institute, iCivics, International Spy Museum and others because they are the leaders in telling the nation’s complicated history. And DFI is working with a network of distribution partners to help us now reach more than 50 million users.
DFI is as strong and impactful as it is because of the strength of its partners. It is constantly push each other to improve and to explore new ideas. By learning from each other, the team generates a sense of ownership in the work, and that shows in both the final product and its impact.
Empowering Future Citizens
Ultimately, the goal is not to have a new generation that can ace a trivia night contest. But is to show why American history is so important. It is also to develop a new generation of critical thinkers. And, to make the nation and the communities stronger.
“How can we possibly be talking about civic activism today when the majority don’t even possess a basic knowledge in civics? How can we be better educated voters and participants in our civil society, when we don’t know basic government? We just can’t.”
The Driving Force Institute is a reclamation project that succeeds when more and more of us are empowered with the knowledge and understanding that makes us better learners, better adults, and better citizens. It is committed to producing the educational content to help us get there.
Fearless Leadership
Patrick words are, “Embrace failure. As a first-time CEO, I believed I needed to have all of the answers and needed to get everything right on the first try. I quickly learned that one can’t innovate or grow or have lasting impact if he is afraid of failure. Those setbacks often provide us with the greatest insights and inspirations out there. Today, I celebrate failure as part of the learning process. We fail fast. We fail forward. We never replicate the same failures. And we are far better for it.”
Aspiring CEOs also need to fully understand the difference between being a boss and being a leader. A true leader encourages disagreement and discussion. He builds, as Lincoln did, a “team of rivals” that ensures the best thinking and best implementation possible. And she understands how to bring the best out of her team, while taking ultimately responsibility for what they do.
