About Driving Force
Transforming how students learn American history through film
Making History Come Alive
The Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement is a national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the teaching and learning of American history and civics through provocative, relevant video content for students and related professional development for teachers.
Our Core Values
Historical Accuracy
Every film we produce is rigorously researched and fact-checked to ensure students receive accurate, trustworthy content.
Educational Excellence
We partner with leading historians and educators to create content that meets the highest standards of pedagogy.
Accessibility
We believe every student deserves access to high-quality history education, regardless of zip code or school budget.
Civic Responsibility
Understanding history is the foundation of informed citizenship. We help students connect the past to the present.
Founded in 2020
Founded in 2020, the Driving Force Institute has grown rapidly into one of the nation's largest producers of American history education film content.
Our films are used in classrooms across all 50 states, reaching millions of students each year. We work closely with teachers to ensure our content aligns with curriculum standards and brings history to life in ways that textbooks simply cannot.
As a nonprofit organization (EIN: 81-2707774), we are committed to keeping our content accessible and free for educators and students nationwide.
Meet the founder
Dr. Patrick Riccards
Dr. Patrick Riccards
Founder, Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement
Dr. Patrick Riccards is the founder of the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement, a national effort transforming the teaching and learning of American history and civics through provocative, relevant video content for students and related professional development for teachers. One of the nation's largest producers of American history education film content, DFI has produced more than 1,300 short films, currently reaching 67M users.
During his career, Patrick has advised three presidential administrations and more than a half-dozen cabinet-level agencies on policy and public engagement. He has also worked for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and three U.S. Senators, as well as for the Senate Appropriations Committee.
An award-winning author, he writes and tweets under the handle Eduflack. His latest book, Strategic Strikes: Mastering Your Communications in the Cage Match of Public Opinion is an Amazon best seller. Patrick is also the author of the nationally recognized books, Dadprovement, which chronicles his experiences building a family through adoption, and Dad in a Cheer Bow — a memoir of his four years coaching his daughter's competition cheerleading team that has recently been turned into a full-length feature film.
Additionally, Patrick is the editor and contributing author of Why Kids Can't Read: Continuing to Challenge the Status Quo in Education. His most recent book, Why History Matters: American History Educators Speak Out, is a collection of essays from many of the nation's top K-12 teachers about the importance of history education.
Patrick regularly speaks on the intersections of policy, research, and engagement and is the author or ghost author of work that has appeared in hundreds of publications, including USA Today, Washington Post, New York Times, New York Post, and Education Week.
Patrick earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and completed the Non-Profit Leaders Executive Education Program at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He earned a doctorate in organizational change and leadership from the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education.
Join Our Mission
Help us bring American history to life for students across the country.