BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – As Alabama prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence, more than 500 schools across the state have joined a growing effort to strengthen civic education, American history and community engagement in classrooms and communities alike.
The Semiquincentennial Schools program, led by the Alabama USA Semiquincentennial Commission, recognizes public, private and homeschool schools that commit to incorporating the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence across their curriculum.
Natalie Steed, executive officer of the commission, said one of the program’s core goals is education beyond the classroom.
“One of the main missions is education – providing educational resources not only for students, but for communities,” Steed said.
By lowering barriers to participation, organizers aim to ensure representation across the state.
“Our goal is to make sure that we have at least one school in every county – we’re down to just a handful of counties now,” Steed said.
In central Alabama, Shelby County Schools was recently designated a Semiquincentennial District – one of just 15 districts statewide, including 13 traditional systems and two charter districts, in which every school has earned the designation.
Shelby County Superintendent Lewis Brooks said the recognition reflects the district’s role in preparing students for civic life.
“We are honored to receive this recognition as our state and nation celebrate 250 years of freedom and the American dream, which comes to life through educating our children every day,” Brooks said.
To earn the designation, schools agree to integrate America’s heritage across core academic subjects and the arts, encourage student mental and physical wellness, and complete at least one community service project aimed at developing responsible, engaged citizenship.
The districts earning the designation are:
- Alabaster City Schools
- Auburn City Schools
- Boaz City Schools
- Cullman County Schools
- Decatur City Schools
- Etowah County Schools
- Ivy Classical Academy in Autauga County
- Jefferson County Schools
- Madison City Schools
- Orange Beach City Schools
- Pelham City Schools
- Roanoke City Schools
- Scottsboro City Schools
- Shelby County Schools
- University Charter School in Sumter County
The commission has also posted a map of all Semiquincentennial Schools on its website, allowing users to click on a county to view designated schools. While the deadline to receive a banner has passed, schools may continue to apply for designation and receive recognition, Steed said.
Kenneth Paschal, vice chair of the commission, said strengthening civic understanding by reaching students through schools has been a central focus of the effort.
“The goal was how can we impact our education system,” Paschal said, crediting American Village and commission staff with carrying out the work statewide.
The commission has developed a 495-page toolkit- free to download on its website – that includes lesson plans, activities and historical resources across grade levels. The toolkit has been widely adopted, with more than 20 states and the White House Task Force downloading it, Steed said.
The materials were developed by Alabama teachers for classroom teachers, said Melanie Poole, the commission’s communications and community engagement vice chair.
While the resources were initially created for designated schools, any school or community can use them, Steed said. She noted the commission wanted to make the materials widely available, particularly for teachers already balancing numerous instructional demands.
“We wanted to make sure that the toolkit was easily integrated, so that the teachers could just plug in and use those lesson plans throughout the year,” she said.
Schools are not required to implement specific lesson plans or add new coursework.
“There are no mandatory requirements,” Steed said. Program materials emphasize cross-curricular instruction and local relevance rather than a prescribed set of lessons.
Poole said the approach reflects the limited time many classrooms can devote to civics and social studies.
“They recognize that social studies and civics may not get a great amount of time in the classroom, so they’re approaching their lesson plans through vocabulary, English, the arts, physical education – every way they possibly can,” Poole said.
The toolkit also includes ideas for libraries, bulletin boards and family and consumer science classes, including an “on this day in history” compilation that can be incorporated into morning announcements or on a school’s social media accounts.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey said the timing of the America250 initiative aligns closely with recent changes to Alabama’s history and social studies standards.
“It’s especially fortunate that the semiquincentennial comes on the heels of our adopting new courses of study in history and social studies,” Mackey said. “We have the strongest history standards in the country, widely embraced across the aisle, telling the American story from a uniquely Alabama vantage. I believe America 250 will create momentum for the study of U.S. history and civics well beyond just one year.”
Semiquincentennial Schools have embraced the designation, often sharing classroom activities and celebrations on social media.
American Village CEO Alan Miller, a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel, said the program reflects the belief that civic knowledge must be actively taught. “The principles our nation was founded upon do not preserve themselves; they must be taught, understood, and lived,” Miller said.
Poole said the overarching themes organizers hope students take away are foundational.
“We want to ensure that all K through 12 students are familiar with the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence,” Poole said. “We want to identify how and why these principles have been important in Alabama’s history, and how they will continue to be important – not only to Americans in the United States, but to people and nations around the world.”
While Alabama was not one of the original 13 colonies, Poole said the semiquincentennial is about more than the nation’s founding year.
“The semiquincentennial is a celebration of all 250 years. It’s not just the birth year,” she said. “Alabama absolutely played a vital role in American history. Alabama’s history is America’s history.”
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