FAIR in Cedar City: Introducing Many Stories, One Nation to Utah Educators
This July, FAIR will join educators from across Utah to explore how Many Stories, One Nation can support rural classrooms and strengthen civic education.
Dear Friends of FAIR,
We’re excited to announce that FAIR will attend the Utah Rural Schools Association (URSA) Summer Conference in Cedar City, Utah on July 15-17. This conference brings together educators and administrators from rural districts across Utah, serving every grade level, who are dedicated to improving student outcomes and strengthening their curricula. URSA provides hands-on and break-out sessions focused on mental and behavioral health supports, literacy best practices, grading practices, and building a culture of investment. For FAIR, the event will be an important opportunity to introduce Many Stories, One Nation to educators and administrators who understand the unique challenges and strengths of rural schools.
FAIR is bringing a dynamic team to Cedar City: Jefferson Shupe, a veteran FAIR Utah Chapter Leader; Aly Shupe, FAIR’s Social Media Coordinator; and Gabe Brown, creator of FAIR’s educational reels and shorts.
Utah holds particular significance as FAIR expands its work in the West. Rural communities have their own complex narratives — stories of settlement, immigration, indigenous presence, and agricultural heritage — that deserve thorough, multi-perspective exploration in classrooms. Yet the needs of rural schools are often overlooked in curriculum development conversations. Many districts lack access to rigorous, comprehensive resources that reflect their history and distinct experiences. That’s where Many Stories, One Nation comes in.
The URSA conference theme, “Teaching and Reaching Every Student,” aligns perfectly with FAIR’s work. Rural educators are deeply committed to understanding their students’ needs and building curricula that serve them well — and Many Stories, One Nation embodies that commitment: it equips students to think critically about competing perspectives and engage with an increasingly complex society.
What makes FAIR’s curriculum ideal for rural districts is a framework that gives students a better understanding of America’s broader story. Students learn how and why different groups experienced the same historical moments in fundamentally different ways, while grounding that understanding in the values and heritage of their own communities. FAIR’s curriculum is academically robust without being ideologically polarizing, meeting students where they are and equipping educators with material that honors both national complexity and local identity.
FAIR’s team will share lesson materials and demonstrate to education leaders what Many Stories, One Nation looks like in action and how it can serve students, teachers, and rural communities navigating Ethnic Studies adoption. We’ll also document the conference on social media to share insights with FAIR’s community.
The conversations we have in Cedar City next week will help us understand how to better support these districts in bringing a fuller American story to their classrooms. We look forward to connecting with Utah educators and administrators and showing them what’s possible when a curriculum grounded in academic integrity meets communities that are committed to every student’s success. Stay tuned–we’ll share what we learn from these conversations in our next update!
Join us.
With gratitude,
Monica Harris
Executive Director, FAIR
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This July, FAIR will join educators from across Utah at the Utah Rural Schools Association Conference to explore how Many Stories, One Nation can support rural classrooms and strengthen civic education.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the nation is still wrestling with some of its oldest questions: Who belongs? What does equality require? How should we understand our differences?
This summer, FAIR’s Film Series will explore these questions through four compelling documentaries produced by Eli Steele and discussions with filmmakers, scholars, and thought leaders.
Join us for this can’t-miss lineup:
🎬 What Killed Michael Brown? — July 15 — 110 min run time + 30 min discussion
🎬 Killing America — July 29 — 38 min run time + discussion featuring Dr. Diana Blum and Eli Steele
🎬 15 Days — August 12
FAIR in Conversation is Back!
What does it mean to have “rights”?
The foundational claim upon which our Declaration of Independence and thus our Constitution and The Bill of Rights are based is the radical belief that individuals possess rights that are inalienable and independent of government.
Our goal is to have an intellectually rigorous and inspirational conversation that aligns with FAIR’s emphasis on open inquiry and civil discourse.
FAIR in Conversation has relaunched with a new monthly format built for this moment.
Sessions will be virtual, open to all FAIR members, and designed to be as accessible as they are substantive. You don’t need to have read anything in advance. Just bring your curiosity, your willingness to listen, and your commitment to engage in good faith.
. Sessions will run monthly through September 23rd. We hope you’ll join us!
Note to readers: We have paused the FAIR News podcast. If you prefer listening, rather than reading these newsletters, an audio version is available directly on the Substack app. Thank you for tuning in!