County students learn about liberty at ‘high energy’ Super Citizen Kickoff

HARVEST — Madison County second and third graders listened, sang, danced and learned at their Super Citizen Kickoff at the Sparkman High School gymnasium Monday morning.

Students were bused in from Harvest, Endeavor, Monrovia and Madison Cross Roads elementary schools for the event that marked the beginning of an approximately 10-week program through Liberty Learning Foundation in which they will learn lessons in civics, character, financial literacy, career development and American history to become “super citizens.”

The students donned green crowns resembling the Statue of Liberty at the kickoff and waved miniature American flags to express their patriotism. After the Pledge of Allegiance, they excitedly chanted for Libby Liberty, an embodiment of the real Statue of Liberty, to appear. The Vice President of Liberty Learning Foundation, John Kvach, described the event as “high energy.”

Libby Liberty, with the help of special guest Mr. Palmer via a video, engaged and inspired the students as she taught them fun facts, history and the meaning behind the Statue of Liberty.

“I symbolize the American Dream: opportunity, liberty and hope,” Libby told her audience before leading them in song and dance with the help of volunteer students. With this, the students learned that only they “can keep the ‘U’ in the U.S.A.”

For Kvach and Tawanna Vickers, tour and events director for Liberty Learning, the Super Citizen program is meaningful in its mission to teach children that no matter who they are or where they come from, they are an integral part of their communities and have a responsibility to leave a positive impact.

“It doesn’t matter what walk of life that they are from, what their ethnicity is, what their background is, what their socioeconomic [status] is, it doesn’t matter,” Vickers said. “We all have the same opportunities and the same freedoms to be what we want to be and to do what we want to do and to impact our communities, which is one of the biggest things that we want these kids to walk away from this program with—to impact and change the lives of their communities in a positive way.”

Over the course of the next few weeks, these students’ teachers will help them learn the program’s various lessons, as well as the characteristics that comprise a “real-life hero.” According to Vickers, the teachers are trained in advance by a member of Liberty Learning’s education team who has more than 30 years of experience as an educator.

In addition to the lessons, students will have the opportunity to nominate and vote on their own super citizen heroes in their communities. At the end of the program, the students will come back together and take the stage themselves to read about the heroes they chose and honor them with either a pin or a small Statue of Liberty. Madison County’s celebration is slated for Dec. 14.

“It’s just a really good time for these kids to shine, to show what they learned, to show that they are ready to be active, engaged and empowered citizens of our country and our state and our communities,” Vickers said.

For Kvach, a former history professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the opportunity to instill these values in children made his transition to vice president of Liberty Learning worthwhile.

“I’m still able to use my skills as a historian and as an educator to show them that … good citizenship is something that still matters,” he said.

Kvach also noted that in a time when negativity is as prevalent as it is now, “bringing civility back to civics” is as important as ever.

“We can talk, we can disagree, but we’re still all kind of part of a family, and all families have their disagreements and all families have their arguments, but … you don’t call names, you don’t get online and flame your friend or your enemy,” Kvach said. “The idea of civility back into civics is a big thing I think matters, too.”

According to their website, Liberty Learning Foundation has impacted more than 150,000 students in 472 schools and communities across Alabama since 2010. To learn more about the nonprofit and its mission, visit libertylearning.org.