Launched by Governor Ivey in December 2017, the Alabama Bicentennial Schools Initiative encouraged all public, private, and homeschool students and teachers to participate in the celebration of Alabama’s 200th anniversary of statehood in 2019. In early 2018, all K-12 schools in Alabama were invited to submit a proposal that engages in outreach and improvement projects to connect their classrooms with their local communities.From a competitive pool of nearly 400 proposals, 200 schools were selected to be official Alabama Bicentennial Schools and received $2,000 grants to support the implementation of their projects. Additionally, 56 schools received honorable mentions and $500 grants. Schools were chosen through a review process involving committees of local educators, community leaders, and private citizens. Representing all corners of the state, the selected schools have developed a wide variety of projects that will make meaningful contributions to their local communities.

Faith Community Christian School’s project was called Everyone Has a Story. Our students learned the stories of prominent and not so prominent Alabama citizens who are making or have made a different in their community. We published our stories in the newspaper and also publisned a book that is now available in local libraries. We spent the school year learning about our state through famous historical Alabamians and doing community service projects with other citizens as we learn their stories. We also worked to find our own way to contribute to our community.

Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to request a copy of the book.