Wreaths Across America (WAA), in collaboration with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), is launching a new, free webinar series for educators. These quarterly webinars aim to equip educators and youth of all ages with the vast resources available from the Library of Congress and will focus on how teachers and students can participate in collecting, preserving, and sharing veterans’ stories critical to our nation’s history and the teaching of the next generation about the value of freedom.
The series will kick off on Tuesday, March 19, at 4 p.m. and be co-hosted by Cindy Tatum, Wreaths Across America Curriculum Developer and Gold Star Mother, and Andrew Huber, Senior Liaison, Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Later dates for the remaining webinars in the series include May 14, August, and October to be announced. Registration for the first event is now open at https://learn.wreathsacrossamerica.org/teach-webinars.
“One of the goals of this webinar series is to provide valuable resources to educators as well as students, who we know will benefit from developing listening and interviewing skills, developing a more impactful understanding of history from sharing personal stories and learning more about multi-media practices,” said Cindy Tatum. “To have this opportunity to collaborate with the Veterans History Project through the Library of Congress is an expansion of our TEACH program we hoped for as we aim to empower educators to inspire the next generation.”
Educators’ takeaways from webinar participation include developing a more thorough understanding of the use of the Library of Congress as an educational resource; providing a project for experiential learning for students in developing interviewing techniques and listening skills; increasing awareness of the WAA K-12 curriculum and wreath-laying projects that develop community development and leadership opportunities for students.
“This webinar series is designed to give educators and classrooms all the tools they need to start using the Veterans History Project website for primary source research and create their own primary source materials for inclusion in the Project,” said Andrew Huber. “Participants will learn about VHPs standards and requirements as well as basic oral history techniques so they can join the dozens of schools nationwide documenting and preserving the history of our nation’s veterans. Hearing and collecting these incredible firsthand accounts of U.S. veterans is an unforgettable experience for any student interested in American history.”
Educators and homeschoolers are encouraged to explore the TEACH program curriculum and stay informed about new lesson plans on WAA’s website at http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/teach. The program offers a comprehensive curriculum tailored for kindergarten through high school, engaging students with stories of courage and character while emphasizing character development and service projects.
For more information regarding the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, visit https://www.loc.gov/programs/veterans-history-project/about-this-program/.
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