At 9:00 am this morning, the James Clements High School Auditorium with packed with more than 700 students from Madison City Schools. They waited, fidgeted, sang & clapped as they eagery awaited a special guest to take the stage.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Anthem and an heart-pumping introduction video where the Statue of Liberty shrunk to the size of a real person, Libby Liberty™ appeared to walk off the screen to a huge applause. In the following 45-minute theatrical presentation, the costumed character brought history to life and introduced students to the 10-week Super Citizen Program they are about to begin.
The show and donation of curiculum are part of Huntsville-based Liberty Learning Foundation’s mission and Next Great Americans Bus Tour. The foundation and sponsors bring the exciting events and teaching tools to schools in order to combat a growing problem in schools: the shrinking sliver of time left for social studies, civics, character, financial literacy and careers in the school day.
Mayor Troy Trulock took the stage to remind students (and all of us) about the importance of citizenship. “I’m so thankful for what this organization is doing,” he said. We need to capture this energy and spread it throughout the entire country.”
Dr. Dee Fowler, superintendent of Madison City Schools, also addressed the crowd explaining that Madison is home to people who are making it possible to go to space, to make our lives easier, people who fought for our freedoms teachers who teach us every day. “There are some of the most important people in the United States, living in Madison, Alabama,” he said. His words echoed the sentiment of Liberty Learning’s mission to teach children to be outstanding citizens, to be upstanding parts of the community and to appreciate the people and freedoms in our lives as Americans.
Today’s show concluded with an incredibly loud and energetic crowd-singing of the Super Citizen Programs official anthem that states “Only YOU can keep the YOU in the U.S.A.” Here it here >
For the next months, students will go through a fun, intensive program that conculdes with them honoring local, everyday heroes in a project called “Torch Teams.” Their emotional graduation celebration bring the people they nominate in front of peers and the community to thank them for embodying the traits of Super Citizens as well.
Today’s sponsors included the Madison County Commission, Jane K. Lowe Foundation and Belk Huntsville.
Find out how you can help! Click here >