Student-created "Freedom Murals" on display

MILWAUKEE -- A new "Freedom Mural" mosaic, designed entirely by stuents, for Iraq War veteran Colonel Kenneth Lee is now on display at the downtown Milwaukee County War Memorial Center. There are 12 other student-created murals on display at other locations throughout Milwaukee.

The project is a mix of beads, pearls, blocks and buttons, and was designed and created by fifth-grade students over the summer, through the program "Sharp Literacy." Each image, from an eagle to a rocketship illustrates the students' knowledge of the Revolutionary War, and what it means to be free. "We challenged our children, what is freedom? And most importantly, to write about why they feel living in a free country is important," Sharp Literacy Executive Director Marlene Kreilkamp said.

On Thursday, the more than 200 participating kids got to see their completed work of art, and share it with veterans at a special event. To the kids, it is a simple gesture of showing their gratitude to those who served, and for others, it's a patriotic message that'll have a lasting effect. "I don't even know what to say. It's kind of amazing," Colonel Kenneth Lee said.

The fifth-graders who created the mural were from Doerfler, Forest Home, Saint Martini and Trowbridge schools. Sharp Literacy has 12 other community murals made by children throughout Milwaukee. Some locations include Milwaukee's Intermodal Station, Discovery World and General Mitchell International Airport.