Each year, second graders in the Cullman City School System learn how to be better citizens through the Liberty Learning Foundation’s Hands on Learning program, and the foundation will soon be adding new programs for seventh and ninth graders in the city’s schools. 

Cullman City Schools Curriculum Coordinator Sharon Windham spoke to the Cullman City School Board about the different programs during the board’s meeting Tuesday evening. 

Windham said second graders have been going through the Hands on Learning program for the past three years, and the course lets them learn more about their country and the people in the community who make a difference.

She said the program concludes with a ceremony that recognizes and honors local heroes and features a visit from Lady Liberty herself to celebrate the country and the occasion.

Next year, the Liberty Learning Foundation will be offering the American Character program for seventh graders and the Citizen Promise program for ninth graders, and the Cullman City School System will be the only system in North Alabama to offer the Citizen Promise program, Windham said.

“We are excited about this endeavor, as this will allow our students to learn more about civics, character, financial liberty and career lessons and opportunities,” she said. 

The Liberty Learning Foundation Educational Director was also on hand to share some of the details of the new programs that will be coming next year. 

She said the American Character program will take seventh graders through a course that includes 10 American characters — including Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman and Helen Keller — and highlights the motivating character traits which distinguish them as heroes in the American experience.

The Citizen Promise program will let ninth graders get involved in the community and learn from community volunteers who will come in and speak about developing essential skills and build character to make students better citizens, Green said. 

“Those things are going to make them life, career and citizen ready once they graduate from high school,” she said.

Windham said all of the programs are provided through local and state funding, which means the school system is not paying anything to bring them to Cullman’s schools, and the partnership between the system and foundation was formed thanks to the help of State Sen. Garlan Gudger and the Cullman city government.

She also thanked Green and Liberty Learning Vice President Brett Johnson for helping bring the programs to local students. 

“They have been instrumental in helping to bring these programs to Cullman City Schools,” she said. “Their passion is extremely evident in what that they do.”