Thousands of fourth graders in Lehi, Utah, participated in the first year of the Lehi Historical Marker Fourth Grade Trading Card Program during the past school year, according to a September 27 report by the Lehi Free Press.
Twelve of the 13 local elementary schools participated in the inaugural program, which transformed historical markers into collectible trading cards to make learning local history engaging for students.
The program was funded through a 2025 Lehi City PARC grant and sponsored by HADCO Construction. Each fourth grader received duplicate copies of one of two sets of trading cards, requiring students to trade with peers to collect all 14 historical marker cards.
School librarians led the activity to help students explore the stories behind the cards. Jeana Christofferson, a member of the Lehi Historical Society and the program liaison for librarians, stated that it is wonderful to educate students and teachers through cards depicting the community's story.
In addition to the trading cards, HADCO Construction sponsored the "Why Remembering Matters" essay contest this spring. Sponsors John David and Danaca Hadfield invited students to imagine what they would include on their own historical markers.
Top awards for the contest included two $200 prizes and a $500 grand prize. Winners were invited to read their essays during the How Lehi Got Its Name Historical Marker Unveiling, where the Hadfields presented them with giant prize checks.
Lehi Historical Society director Lara Bangerter said the goal was to show children that history is all around them rather than just in books. To date, 23 historical markers have been unveiled as part of the program.
The Lehi Historical Society announced that the program will continue after receiving funding through the 2026 Lehi City PARC Grant round. Librarians plan to introduce the cards in January or February to provide students more time to trade and learn.
