2 local schools represent state for bicentennial

The state of Alabama is gearing up for its official bicentennial celebration in 2019 to commemorate 200 years of statehood. 

“As far as I know, we are the only state that has had three years to really think about where we’ve been, and who we were, and who we are now, and who we want to be in the future, and how we want our kids to grow up and what we hope our state will offer to the future,” Education Coordinator Susan DuBose said.

Since 2017, ALABAMA 200, the three-year celebration of the people, places and events of the state’s history, gathered committees dedicated to educating and giving history materials to teachers to share with their students. Materials included Alabama’s beginnings as Mississippi territory all the way to statehood. DuBose said the program included primary source educational development, particularly through archives, and professional development through camps with teachers. 

In the summer of 2018, the Alabama Bicentennial Commission sent a request out to every public, private, homeschool and charter school in the state, asking them to submit community service project proposals for ideas that would allow the schools to give back in different ways. The Alabama Bicentennial Commission then chose 200 schools to represent the state as Alabama Bicentennial Schools and receive a grant of $2,000.

DuBose said that out of the 400 submitted proposals they received, they chose schools that focused on projects involving civic engagement and ideas that would inspire stronger connections between the community and the school. 

“Those children being engaged in their community are going to be so powerful as we go forward in the future if they have a deep and abiding care in the community. … We ask communities to do a great deal for our schools, so this is a chance for them to give back to their community,” DuBose said.

Two Vestavia schools, Vestavia Hills Elementary West and Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights, were chosen to be Bicentennial Schools.  

VHEW Assistant Principal Susan McCall said for their school, which includes kindergarten through third grade, they are celebrating “a big happy birthday Alabama,” because the word bicentennial isn’t understood by their young students. For the celebration, they are inviting local and state civic leaders and public service providers for a week-long event at the school in February called “Connect Week,” with the goal to “build relationships between students and community leaders.”

All of the books will be displayed in the library, along with pictures from the event and information about the bicentennial, so that future students can enjoy it. McCall said they also purchased books that talk about how to be a good citizen, as well as the voting process.

“We decided to match the books to the social studies standards of each grade level. Kindergarten has community helpers as one of their social study standards, so we are hoping to connect a fireman or policeman and then have them read a book. … In first grade, one of their standards is learning about city and state leaders, so we will connect someone with them,” McCall said.

Joyia Pittman, Alabama Bicentennial Commission Educational Specialist, visited about 100 of the schools to check on their progress, including the two Vestavia schools.

“So the whole point is to connect these students and parents with their community to civic leaders, and with this opportunity, it brings [leaders] right to them. They get to talk to them and ask questions. They’re coming when they’re young, but maybe they’ll consider a career after the person they meet,” Pittman said. 

The purpose of choosing the bicentennial schools, Pittman said, was to connect campuses to community, which she was proud to see that so far the VHEW’s project really showcases. 

Plus, McCall said, there’s a dual purpose of students seeing a love of literacy with community members to encourage reading. In addition, all of the students have been in the process of learning the Alabama state song in their music class.

“After the bicentennial is over, we want students to be excited about their state,” DuBose said. “We want them to stay here, and we want them to grow up here. … That’s an important part of it.”

Over the course of the visits, Pittman said, she was also impressed by VHECH’s commitment to teaching students about Alabama’s history. 

“Every school I’ve been to, they care so much about their students, and they care about Alabama, and they care about this grant,” Pittman said. “It provides them the resources they need to complete these projects.”

Since VHECH sits right beside the Cahaba River, the school chose to use the money to educate the students, faculty and people in the community on how to take care of the river. The grant money, Pittman said, is being used to bring guest speakers, fund a field trip and purchase cleaning supplies and transportation for trips to the river. 

In addition, the school is also allowing students to create artwork involving the river, some of which will be compiled to create a calendar the school will sell as they encourage community members to engage in river cleanliness. Already this school year, representatives from the Cahaba River Society have met VHECH students on field trips to the Cahaba River.

Throughout the rest of the school year, the school will continue to host work days at the river, for students, parents and community members.

In August 2019, each school will present their project findings, and the top three in each congressional district will be chosen based on community engagement, impact of the community, lessons learned and whether the project is sustainable. Those chosen will be invited to be part of the “last big celebration” in Montgomery in December 2019, DuBose said. More details will be available closer to that date. 

To learn more about the Alabama Bicentennial celebrations coming up in 2019, go to alabama200.org.