Two hundred students from six classes attended a one-hour assembly to hear about and discuss the topic of freedom. Dr. Luis Gonzalez, a music teacher at Colton High School in Colton, California, led the first assembly the school has ever had regarding religious liberty on January 19th, 2006.

Dr. Gonzalez had attended a "Keeping the Faith in Public Schools" seminar made possible by Gateways partners. Inspired by the seminar’s information regarding Religious Freedom Day, he decided to conduct an assembly at his school of 3,300 students.

The forum featured a panel of two pastors, one school board member, one teacher, the advisor of the school newspaper, and one student.

"After giving a background on the Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights," Dr. Gonzalez explains, "I guided the forum into a question-and-answer period. My goal was to encourage dialogue."

The students and panelists discussed the Pledge of Allegiance, prayer in school, religious clubs on campus, the gay-straight alliance, teacher-led activities, printing in the school newspaper, release time for religious activities, Bibles in school, protests on campus, and announcements of religious activities.

Dr. Gonzalez also made Gateways’ "Free to Speak" flyer available for the students. Reflecting on the first-ever event, he says, "The only suggestion I received from the participants was to have more time. Otherwise, they thought it went great;" so great, in fact, that the school district’s board of education discussed the success of the assembly and has encouraged Dr. Gonzalez to do it again next year.