Virginia Nonprofit Wins Prize to Create US History Documentaries for Nation’s 250th Anniversary

Cana Academy is a Virginia-based nonprofit with a mission to train teachers and equip them with educational resources. With America’s 250th anniversary next year, the organization has embarked on an ambitious project to create 250 short American history documentaries.

Last month, The Heritage Foundation awarded Cana Academy with a $50,000 Innovation Prize to support its initiative, History250: Telling America’s Story One Film at a Time. Several of the documentaries are already available on the organization’s website. 

The documentaries are “complete with banks of original documents, maps, and lesson plans,” said Bridgett Wagner, executive director of the Edwin J. Feulner Institute, at the award ceremony. “History250 is intended as a comprehensive resource for history teachers and students, meant to cultivate knowledge, vision, hope and unity.” 

Michaela Loughran, managing editor and producer of History250, accepted the prize on behalf of Cana Academy. 

“The films will be a permanent resource for schools, continuing education programs, and the broader public,” Loughran said. “They are free, beautiful, true to what actually happened in America’s history, and sympathetic toward our forebearers.” 

Cana Academy President Andrew Zwerneman said he was “pleased and honored about receiving this prestigious prize.” With the additional funding, he said Heritage has “fueled our mission’s engines, ensuring an exceptional body of documentaries on America’s extraordinary story of freedom.” 

Cana Academy was one of five winners selected from 139 applicants. Other winners included Emergent Order Foundation, Herzog Foundation Institute, Matthew Mehan of Hillsdale College, and Sophia Institute. 

The prizes come amid rising momentum among conservatives in anticipation of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.  

Because of the success of this round of America’s 250th Innovation Prizes, Heritage has announced an additional round with an application deadline of Sept. 2.

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