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For about seven years now, Troy Bank & Trust has supported the Lady Liberty Program in the schools in Pike County. Each year, the journey through history seems to be more meaningful, but, with the constraints of COVID-19, no more than this year.

The mission of the Lady Liberty Program is to help students discover and define their important roles in America’s future and bring attention to the need for tools that make it easy and exciting for educators to teach character education and civic responsibility along with the required subjects.

Dianna Lee, TB&T marketing and public relations officer, said it is most important to teach character building, citizenship and financial literacy in today’s schools.  “And, at TB&T, financial literacy is next to our hearts.”

Lee said, in today’s world, it is important that students to learn about ways to become Super Citizens and also about financial literacy, how to manage money and money saving.

“The students love Lady Liberty and the program that is presented,” Lee said. “I still get chill bumps every time. Just being a part of the program makes me proud to be an American and a part of a bank that wants to sponsor a program like that for our students.”

And the students’ journey into history continues long after the Lady Liberty program ends.

“Following the visit by Lady Liberty, the participating teachers will receive lessons that have been put together for their classroom instruction,” Lee said. “Troy Bank and Trust is proud to be a sponsor of the continuing Lady Liberty Program each year.”

This week, Lady Liberty has visited Troy Elementary School and Pike Liberal Arts and will be back at PLAS today (Friday) to help initiate a pilot Lady Liberty program for middle school students.

“We believe the Lady Liberty pilot program in the middle school grades will be just as successful as it has been in the elementary grades,” Lee said.

The Pike County School System chose the virtual option for the Lady Liberty Program this year.

Whether on-site or virtually, Lee said the students will benefit from the program and will be more aware of the need for and importance of being contributing American citizens.