In honor of Constitution Day, Martinez Elementary School installed a Freedom Shrine in one of its hallways, providing students with a daily reminder of the historical documents that have shaped the United States.
The Freedom Shrine, a collection of replicas of important American documents, was unveiled during a special assembly on Sept. 17.
The shrine includes copies of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Gettysburg Address and other significant documents that represent the country’s commitment to freedom and democracy.
Impact on students
Fourth grade students from Martinez Elementary joined in at the unveiling ceremony after learning about the Constitution in their recent coursework.
School Principal Dr. Whitney Smith said the shrine will allow students to “get a real world application of the standards and the instruction that they learn in class daily.”
Smith said she’s had a chance to see some of the work the fourth graders have done in relation to this topic, including the creation of a classroom Constitution.
“We were so excited for them to see that there’s things that happened years upon years ago that still have an effect on them till this day,” she said.
Exchange Club contribution
The Freedom Shrine installation was made possible by the Columbia County branch of the Exchange Club, a national service organization aiming to promote American pride and improve communities. Members of the organization were on hand to help dedicate the display and present the school with a plaque commemorating the event.
Tony Gallo, on the Americanism Committee Chair for the Exchange said: “I love when we get the kids out here and get them involved in it…I think the more that they are made aware of what it means and what it is for them in their lives, I think they’ll get an appreciation of it.”
Gallo said the Exchange’s goal is to get a Freedom Shrine into every school in Columbia County from elementary to high school.
Constitution day in college
Constitution Day was also celebrated by Augusta University with a reading of the constitution by 50 volunteers who each read short portions of the document.
David Kearns, who manages the government documents section at the university’s Reese Library, coordinated the event which was co-sponsored by Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the AU departments of Communication and Social Sciences.
“We do this every year…the room is packed with volunteers, and so they’re all here to get something out of the experience of reading the constitution communally,” said Kearns.
