The Lehi Historical Society completed the inaugural year of its Fourth Grade Trading Card Program across 12 of Lehi's 13 elementary schools, according to a September 30 report.
Students spent the 2025-26 school year swapping collectible cards that feature the city's historical markers. The society has secured funding for a second year of the program following a successful first year.
Each student participated by receiving one of two card sets containing duplicates, which they then traded with classmates to collect all 14 cards. Each card highlights a specific location from the Lehi Historical Marker Program, which has installed 23 markers across the city to date.
School librarians led the trading activities, using the swaps to provide lessons regarding the people and places associated with each marker. Jeana Christofferson, a Lehi Historical Society member who acted as a liaison between the society and librarians, stated she valued educating students and teachers about the community.
Lara Bangerter, the director of the Lehi Historical Society, said the goal was to help children understand that Lehi history is all around them rather than just something found in a book. The cards were designed to be something students could hold, trade, and discuss with friends.
In addition to the trading program, HADCO Construction sponsored a spring essay contest titled "Why Remembering Matters." John David and Danaca Hadfield of HADCO Construction sponsored the contest, which featured fourth-graders writing about what they would include on a historical marker of their own.
Winners of the contest read their essays at the How Lehi Got Its Name Historical Marker Unveiling, where the Hadfields distributed $900 in total prizes, including a $500 grand prize and two $200 awards.
The program was initially funded by a 2025 Lehi City Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture (PARC) grant and was sponsored by HADCO Construction. The Lehi City Council voted during a work session on April 13, 2026, to distribute $861,997 in PARC tax funds to local organizations, including the Lehi Historical Society and Archives.
Lehi voters approved the PARC tax in November 2021. Approximately $400,000 of the annual revenue is allocated to Cultural Organization Grants, according to the city's PARC tax page.
The Lehi Historical Society announced the program will return for the 2026-27 school year. Librarians plan to introduce the cards in January or February 2027 to allow students more time to trade and learn before the school year concludes.
