Dr. Ben Carson's education program teaches the 'good, bad, and ugly' of America, with emphasis on the good

EXCLUSIVE: As children across the country head back to school this month, Dr. Ben Carson says that his program, Little Patriots Learning, can appeal to those who are worried current U.S. history school curriculums are only teaching the worst about America.

Little Patriots Learning, founded in the fall of 2021, is a free online resource for parents that offers at-home activities, patriotic books, in-depth studying, cartoons, star-spangled adventures, and sing-a-longs to teach children about America's founding principles, according to Carson and his American Cornerstone Institute.

"Little Patriots is dedicated to providing engaging, high-quality educational content that teaches children about the remarkable journey of America’s founding and growth," the group says in its mission statement. "Through interactive lessons, captivating stories, and fun activities, we strive to instill a sense of pride and responsibility in young patriots, encouraging them to be informed and active citizens."

Carson, the former HUD secretary who ran for president in 2016, founded Little Patriots Learning in part because of the lesson plans parents were privy to during the COVID-19 pandemic. The classes, he said, were not what they remembered. Revealing glimpses showed that some kids were being subject to lessons on gender identity. It gave new life to homeschooling and the school choice movement.

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Dr. Ben Carson, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary, speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

"I think it was really the COVID pandemic," Dr. Carson told Fox News Digital. "And we discovered what the children were learning. We were all kind of assuming that they were learning the same things that we learned when we were children. And didn't recognize that there was a lot of propaganda. And we said, ‘America is really a wonderful place. You sort of won the lottery if you were born here.’ That's why there's so many people trying to get in here. But, you know, the things that we're teaching our young people make them question whether this is even a good nation." 

Carson set off warning bells on the likes of critical race theory and Nikole Hannah-Jones' 1619 Project, which seeks to put slavery and its consequences at the center of the founding and history of the United States. He explained how Little Patriots Learning puts an exclamation point on the "Patriots" part. 

"And so we try to teach children all of our history – the good, the bad and the ugly," Carson continued. "But there's a lot more good than there is bad and ugly. We have people like CRT and 1619 which just seize on the bad and the ugly, and they try to build everything around that. And that clearly is not who we are as a nation. And if you don't really understand your history, then you really don't have an identity. And if you don't have an identity, it disrupts your belief system and you become like a leaf blowing in the wind."

In terms of how schools should teach slavery, Dr. Carson said there's an important distinction to be made.

"Virtually every society has had to deal with slavery, since the beginning of civilization," Carson said. "So we're not unique in having had slavery. We are unique, however, in that we had so many people who were vehemently opposed to it that we fought a bloody civil war and lost a large portion of our population to get rid of it."

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Revolutionary War reenactors walk with a US flag in celebration of Memorial Day in John Paul Jones Park in Bay Ridge on May 31, 2021, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.  (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Carson also said he was concerned that too many American classrooms are teaching children that some of them are "victims" of oppression. He credits his mom, whose own difficult background would have given her as much a right as anyone to feel like a victim, Carson said, for always making sure he and his brother knew that they were never allowed to use that label.

"The victim mentality is a scourge on our society," he said. "You're only a victim if you believe you're a victim."

Carson joked that the only downside of their mom's mantra was that he and his brother were never allowed to make excuses.

"I became the brain surgeon and he became the rocket scientist," he laughed. "So, she was vindicated, I do believe, even though a lot of her friends criticized her and said, 'You can't make boys stay in the house or read books.'"

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Parents and community members attend a Loudoun County School Board meeting about critical race theory in Ashburn, Virginia, on June 22, 2021. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

Dr. Carson happily pinpointed a few of his favorite figures from American history – two Founding Fathers and an inspiring author.

"George Washington - very much admire him," Carson said. "The fact that he was willing to step down, even though they were willing to make him king. His faith in God, his perseverance against unbelievable odds. I think he's an incredible example for us. And, Benjamin Franklin, who was very innovative and, you know, never said, 'No one's ever done that before. Therefore, it can't be done.' His attitude was, no one's ever done that before until it's been done. And why don't I do it? I really admire him. Booker T. Washington, who wrote the book 'Up from Slavery,' and the whole concept of self-reliance and recognizing that the person who has the most to do with what happens to you is you."

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Education was largely considered the driving force that compelled Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to victory in 2021, led by parents peeved about "woke" lesson plans. 

Carson believes it will play a "gigantic role" in the November presidential election too.

Fox News' Ramiro Vargas contributed to this report.