HEART’s approval claim and the state’s rejection
2019–2026; August/September 2022 review · Utah; national curriculum platform
On May 24, 2022, a saved Utah-edition StoryLabs page marketed HEART as "USBE approved" at a price of $100, reduced to $50. The August 5, 2022 state instructional-materials report lists HEART as "Reviewed–Not Recommended" and also labels it "Rejected," recommending that the denial be upheld and HEART removed as a teacher resource.
Show the dated details
Reviewers found gaps in Utah standards coverage, conflicts with state standards and law, and inaccurate or biased information. The full board adopted the report on September 8, 2022, with Cline and Earl opposed. It separately labels 1776 Unites "Rejected."
On November 20, 2019, the earliest saved HEART product page priced digital access at $3 per student, $15 per teacher and $25 per classroom. The underlying curriculum is offered free; the digital version is paid.
On June 8, 2020, iKeepSafe announced StoryLabs’ FERPA and California student-privacy certifications. Those certifications addressed privacy, separate from the 2022 state curriculum review.
On September 29, 2023, a saved page showed Freedom in Education's curriculum portal on the StoryLabs platform. On January 12, 2024, Utah Parents United linked an Introduction to HEART Sex Ed class whose resource sheet directs participants to StoryLabs with a class code.
On August 20, 2025, Stephens promoted Exemplars of Liberty, a 15-week course priced at $100 or free to Moms for America members.
On August 18, 2026, the live HEART store displayed certification badges and approval wording. A later state approval has not been verified.
Documented
Who and what is involved
- Institutions
- USBE instructional-materials reviewers/full board; storefront
- People and recorded roles
- Stephens advisory/cofounder role; Cline; Earl; reviewers
- Organizations, bodies and vendors
- StoryLabs; S&S Apps; UPU; Freedom in Education; iKeepSafe
- Laws, rules and procedures
- Utah curricular standards/law; instructional-material approval process
- Products and information systems
- HEART; 1776 Unites; curriculum portals; Exemplars of Liberty
Sources (18)
- D299Archived page · HEART is sold through StoryLabs · November 20, 2019 (opens in a new window)
- D220HEART curriculum PDF (opens in a new window)
- D219iKeepSafe — Storylabs FERPA and California Student Data Privacy Certifications, June 8, 2020 (opens in a new window)
- D300Archived page · StoryLabs markets HEART as USBE approved · May 24, 2022 (opens in a new window)
- D301Utah State Board of Education (opens in a new window)
- D302August 2022 review report, pages 22–23 (opens in a new window)
- D303Archived page · StoryLabs hosts Freedom in Education’s curriculum portal · September 29, 2023 (opens in a new window)
- D304Utah Parents United — January Empowered Parents Classes (opens in a new window)
- D305Utah Parents United — Sexualization vs Health Education resource sheet (opens in a new window)
- D306Source · HEART still displays approval and privacy claims · August 18, 2026 (opens in a new window)
- D226March 2018 CLTA program (PDF, page 8) (opens in a new window)
- D227ACTFL’s 2019 LaunchPad (opens in a new window)
- D228StoryLabs describes its platform and co-founders (opens in a new window)
- D229StoryLabs trademark record (opens in a new window)
- D230StoryLabs name tag on video
- D238Read the linked statement (opens in a new window)
- D235Amplify identifies S&S Apps (opens in a new window)
- D233Google Play - Amplify USA / Android package com.sandsapps.wegovern (opens in a new window)
Earlier research pages
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated November 20, 2019
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated June 8, 2020
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated May 24, 2022
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated August 5, 2022
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated September 29, 2023
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated January 12, 2024
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated August 20, 2025
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated August 18, 2026
- Organizations and services, section storylabs
- Source images and exhibits
Open question
Was there later approval; which edition/status does each storefront claim describe?