VALDOSTA — Three students from Valdosta Early College Academy were given the opportunity to talk to Captain America about, well, America.

Chris Evans, better known as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is co-creator of “A Starting Point,” a video-based civic engagement platform, with Mark Kassen and Joe Kiani.

“A Starting Point” describes its mission as creating “a bipartisan channel of communication and connectivity between Americans and their elected officials with the goal of creating a more informed electorate.”

A platform was recently launched called “ASP Homeroom” in collaboration with the Close Up Foundation.

“ASP Homeroom is a web-based educational portal that combines Close Up’s 50 years of experience in non-partisan civic education and ASP’s mission to create better connectivity and dialogue between Americans and their elected representatives,” according to a statement from ASP.

The portal offers a curriculum and resource guide to serve as a way for students to participate in civics learning “across cultural and socio-economic boundaries.”

The Close Up Foundation has worked with VECA in the past and helped facilitate student trips to Washington, D.C., which is how Kyle Elder and his students linked up with ASP.

VECA is one of 10 schools to participate in the pilot program using the platform in their classrooms.

Students were selected to join Evans, Kassen, Close Up Foundation Chief Development Officer Mia Charity, and lawmakers for an online discussion. Lawmakers included Congressman Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). 

The call included many students from the selected schools of Sacred Heart Cathedral Peep in California, Francis Parker School in Chicago, St. Dominic Savio Catholic High in Texas and VECA.

Some students asked questions of their virtual guests.

The three VECA students who were able to ask questions on this call were ninth-graders Kayla Calloway, Malachi Evans, and Layla Lyons.

How did the students react to finding out they’d be virtually meeting someone like Chris Evans?

Well, they assumed it was a joke being played by Elder. Finding out it was real led to a bit of flustering, but the students maintained their composure as they asked questions.

While speaking to an A-list celebrity might seem like the teenage dream, the students said they were fascinated listening to the lawmakers speak.

The students are not only getting a jumpstart on political knowledge but have made it known their generation isn’t in the dark when it comes to important topics.

What they found compelling was watching politicians with opposing viewpoints present them in a respectful manner, which the students agree isn’t something they see in the news or on social media.

“My favorite part was when the congressmen started talking,” Malachi Evans said. “They let each other talk and had opinions without being disrespectful. They were patient and listened to what every person had to say.”

Lyons echoed a similar sentiment, sharing that where students so often see “Republicans or Democrats or evil,” the call showed politics in a different light.

Calloway has always had an interest in political science, with the future goal of becoming a lawyer and eventually a judge.

What she appreciates about not just this one call, but of the program as a whole, is they’re being given an opportunity to better understand both sides of the government and make their own, informed decisions.

She said being a student at VECA is beneficial to her future.

“The school is a good outlet and sets you up to have success,” Calloway said.

The students have all found that, with this additional political knowledge, that they hope they’ll be able to do their research, form their own independent opinions and become responsible voters at the age of 18.