Three Limestone County schools and two Athens City schools were selected as official Alabama Bicentennial Schools, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday.

Two hundred schools were selected out of the almost 400 proposals submitted to the Alabama Bicentennial Schools Initiative. The proposals had to connect classrooms to their local communities through outreach and improvement projects.

“It makes me so proud to see such a strong showing of schools participating in the program,” Ivey said. “It is an honor to recognize these outstanding schools and their projects as we head into Alabama’s bicentennial year.”

In the Limestone County Schools district, Piney Chapel Elementary School, East Limestone High School and Tanner Elementary School were selected. In the Athens City Schools system, SPARK Academy at Cowart Elementary and Athens High School were chosen.

Each school will receive a $2,000 grant to implement their proposal. Projects must be completed during the 2018-2019 school year but may include parts that will last beyond the school year.

Bicentennial schools that complete their project and submit a final report on their project by Aug. 1, 2019, will be eligible for selection as a Bicentennial School of Excellence. Three schools will be chosen from each of Alabama’s seven state Congressional districts.

The schools in Limestone County are part of the state’s 5th district and will compete against 22 schools from Lauderdale, Morgan, Jackson and Madison counties. If chosen, they will be recognized by Ivey and get to participate in commemoration ceremonies Dec. 14, 2019, in Montgomery.

The projects range from oral history presentations to community gardens to mentorship programs. Steve Murray, co-chair of the Bicentennial Commission’s Education Committee, said the core objective of the bicentennial is to get Alabamians thinking about what makes the state special and what they want the state to be.

“The terrific projects developed by the Alabama Bicentennial Schools will create opportunities for students to learn about the importance of community and to discover the ability they have to shape the future of their corner of the state,” Murray said.

The Alabama Bicentennial Schools Initiative is presented in partnership by Alabama 200, the Alabama Department of Archives and History and the Alabama State Department of Education.