Today is a big day for the second graders of Vaughn Road Elementary School in Montgomery County.
Not only are they graduating from the Super Citizen Program, they are also gathered to honor two local heroes who they believe are role models for the character and civic lessons they’ve been learning.
For the past 10 weeks these students have been immersed in hands-on learning that teaches them tangible lessons in civics, character, financial literacy and community service. And in this concluding ceremony, it’s clear they have learned another big lesson: “When you honor a hero, you become a hero.”
Today’s heroes were Governor Kay Ivey and Montgomery Police Department’s Sergeant Reggie Bridges.
Governor Ivey graciously accepted her award and stood as a powerful example of civic responsibility for these youth.
In an emotional moment, the audience learned that the hero being introduced by second grader Michael Murrell was none other than his grandfather. You could feel the love in the room.
This school year alone, more than 3,150 second graders in Montgomery County Schools will participate in the Super Citizen Program, made possible by generous corporate, municipal and individual donors who support schools through Liberty Learning Foundation.
ABOUT LIBERTY LEARNING FOUNDATION
Alabama-based nonprofit Liberty Learning Foundation facilitates these unforgettable events, trains teachers, coordinates volunteers, donates resource kits and builds Community Alliances to sustain this and its other programs. The organization impacts more than 40,000 Alabama students yearly through its elementary Super Citizen Program, its middle school American Character Program, and the soon-to-be-released Citizen Promise for high schools. Each program includes a kickoff event, 10-12 weeks of classroom learning, a service learning project and a culminating event. The groundbreaking methodology has proven an effective way to teach our next generation the importance of their most important title: CITIZEN.