Did you know Amish children are forbidden from going to school after the 8th grade?
Help Amish Kids Learn By Giving Today!
Attend school beyond the 8th grade
Speak English as a second language (avg 5th grade literacy)
Learn STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), civics, law, politics, sex education, and the arts
Did you know that even YOU do not have the right to learn according to the US federal government?
Our Goal
Make A Real Change In American & Indigenous Children’s Lives
In 1972, the United States Supreme Court decided in Wisconsin v. Yoder that Amish children do not have the right to any future other than one inside the Amish Church.
An Amish child is prohibited by law from becoming anything but a “housewife” or a “farmer”.
Guided by enlightenment principles, the Amish Heritage Foundation (AHF) is, to our knowledge, the first organization in 300+ years of Amish history that advocates for the Amish—inside and outside the Church—without a religious price tag, promotes compassionate secular values, and empowers those who leave the Church.
We envision that one day education will be an explicit federal right for every child and adult.
In the meantime, we’re empowering Amish women and children through education, so they can choose their futures.
“The Amish Heritage Foundation has provided me with life-changing emotional support, influence and guidance. I don’t feel so alone anymore.”
“When I escaped, I didn’t even know if I had a birth certificate. The Amish Heritage Foundation helped me get documented right away, so I could get a job and be recognized as an American citizen.”
“If it weren’t for The Amish Heritage Foundation and their dedicated staff, we would never have been able to stand up to the abuse inside our church. We would have just given up.”
The Amish Heritage Foundation Blog
Why Amish Women Need Feminism & Important Ways You Can Help
We have to stop thinking about Amish women and children as property of the Amish — and separate from us — and start thinking of them as fellow members of society. Empowering Amish women starts with our advocacy, and it relies on their education.
Examining the Wisconsin v. Yoder case document, and why it’s unethical
This case document almost feels unreal, like I’m reading a dystopian novel. It’s like every child of the Amish had their futures decided for them before they can even read.
When the Supreme Court Couldn’t Care Less: The 1971 Wisconsin v. Yoder Hearing
Attorney William Ball somehow successfully argued that because no crimes are reported in the Amish community, no crimes — including child abuse — have been committed. In the age of the #MeToo movement, an implication like that would never stand in the courtroom of today. Ball’s statement is grossly unjust.
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Empowering Amish women and children through education
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