The Bible Literacy Project, Inc., is a non-partisan, non-profit effort to encourage and facilitate the academic study of the Bible in public schools. Founded in 2001 by Chuck Stetson and Richard Scurry, we believe that failure to teach about the Bible leaves students in ignorance and cultural illiteracy. Our funding comes from individual donors and from several well-known foundations, including the John Templeton Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the William H. Flowers Foundation. Along with the First Amendment Center, the Bible Literacy Project co-published 'The Bible and Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide,' the historic 1999 statement that established guidelines for how to teach about the Bible in public schools. The Guide was endorsed by 21 leading organizations, including the National School Boards Association and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. In 2005, the Bible Literacy Project published 'The Bible and Its Influence,' the first student textbook for academic study of the Bible in public high schools. Since its publication, this program has gained national recognition for its scholarly approach to teaching about the Bible in compliance with First Amendment guidelines. Designed for high school students in grades 9-12, and enjoyed equally by college students and adult learners, 'The Bible and Its Influence' can be taught as an English, social studies, or humanities elective.