March 4, 2014, Mobile, AL (Davidson High School Auditorium)

Imagine the energy we felt as 575 Statue of Liberty crown-wearing 3rd graders counted down to the grand entrance of Libby Liberty™ who took the stage fresh off the Next Great Americans Tour Bus. As the statuesque actress brought history to life, it was made clear, for the second year in a row, that Mobile Co. youth were about to embark on a learning experience that would have a lasting impact far beyond school walls.

Students from Anna Booth, Fonde, Orchard, Morningside, Wilmer elementary schools are about to begin an 8-week, rock-star-style infusion of civics, character, financial literacy, careers and social studies to combat the shrinking sliver of time left for these crucial subjects in the day-to-day. The Super Citizen Program is being made possible by Alabama Power Foundation, Mobile Premier Pediatric Dentistry and The Liberty Learning Foundation (LLF).

“We realized these most important subjects were not going to trump the importance of science, technology, math and the testing that goes along with them. But we weren’t willing to let our next generations graduate without becoming really super citizens,” says LLF founder Patti Yancey.

So the foundation paired seasoned educators, film producers, musicians, actors and events specialists to raise funding and execute The unprecedented Next Great Americans Bus Tour. 

The tour visits schools, donates Super Citizen Program Resource Kits free to teachers. They train them and coordinate volunteers to help implement the lessons. Then, they arrive in grand fashion to kick off the program with the performace we saw today. Complete with 3 multimedia screens, animation, theatrical show and live, original music, it charges the children and community to take part in this mission!

“It makes it possible to teach about citizenship – all its opportunities and responsibilities – in an exciting way that really engages students in the shortest amount of time,” says Yancey.

After students work through DVD and activity-based lessons, they bring all their learning full-circle and out into the community by nominating outstanding local heroes who embody the character they are learning in this program.

The public is invited to attend a sure-to-be emotional May 5th graduation celebration which will feature student-led stories and recognition of local heroes, slideshows and more.

READ AL.COM’s NEWS COVERAGE OF THE EVENT HERE >>