County Commission | The Magazine October 2018 | Page 26

FROM THE COVER
Commission Helps Students
Step Back in Time
T
he Baldwin County
Commission took home
an Excellence in County
Government Award this year
for its Bicentennial Field Trip
Program that has brought
local history to life.
ACCA presents the
Excellence in County
Government Awards annually
to recognize commission-
initiated projects and
programs that are outstanding
in quality or innovative in
approach. There are separate
urban and rural categories,
and Baldwin County was
2018-2019 ACCA President Tony Cherry (at left) congratulates Baldwin County leaders on winning this year’s
recognized in the category
Excellence in County Government Award in the Urban Category. Present to accept the award were (from right)
for counties with more than
Commissioners Chris Elliott and Tucker Dorsey, Archives Director Felisha Anderson and Commissioner Skip Gruber.
50,000 residents.
The field trip program,
back in time multiple generations.
the Baldwin County Commission
which earned endorsement from the arranged for it to be relocated to
Inside the schoolhouse, it is the
Alabama Bicentennial Commission, the county’s Bicentennial Park
1921-1922 school year, and the
is focused on helping third- and
community has recently welcomed
in Stockton, alongside a historic
fourth-graders immerse themselves
back veterans of The Great War,
church, general store, blacksmith’s
in the typical lessons and activities
shop and Native American exhibits. now usually called World War I.
of a century ago in a classic one-
The commission’s investment did Grades one through eight are all
room schoolhouse.
not stop there, however. The county’s together in one room, and the U.S.
At one time, more than
flag hanging near the blackboard
full-time director of archives and
90 small, community schools
carries only 48 stars. Lessons cover
history has devoted significant
dotted the county, many built
reading, writing, arithmetic and
time to developing curriculum in
following the state-approved plan
spelling. Period-appropriate games,
consultation with the local school
for one-room schoolhouses. The
such as drop the handkerchief, are
system. In addition, she and other
historic Blakely School building,
played during recess.
county staff members team up with
better known as the Little Red
“Year number one was a
community volunteers to present
Schoolhouse, was built in 1920 by
educational programming to visiting huge success,” states the county’s
African-American families in the
nominating materials. “Students
groups every Wednesday during the
Bromley community. It had been
visiting the historic community
school year.
preserved as a museum for more
learned in a more hands-on,
The initial goal was to serve
than 30 years and moved to a site in 300 students during the 2017-2018
interactive manner than they do
Bay Minette near the county board academic year. The actual results
in school.”
of education’s office.
The county also emphasized
far exceeded that goal, with 457
In an effort to improve public
students visiting during the first year. the program’s benefit to taxpayers,
access to the historic structure,
citing research indicating that field
Visiting students get to step
26 | OCTOBER 2018