19 Aug Back to School!

Good afternoon everyone,

First, I want to send a giant THANK YOU out to everyone who has made this one of the best summers at the Memorial.  From the 70th Anniversary Ceremony to Day Camp to everyday visitation, we have been very busy on-site.  Hundreds of people have been on tours learning more about D-Day, the Bedford Boys, and the symbolism in the design of the Memorial.  I would also like to say THANK YOU to all our wonderful, dedicated volunteers who make all that we do possible.  They are the ones out there everyday leading tours, working in the gift store, and assisting in all the programming we do throughout the summer. 

Now that we are starting the new school year, the site is about to start filling up with students.  We offer special SOL-based programming for classrooms 3rd grade and up.  If you are close enough to plan a field trip to the Memorial, students will step back in time as they learn about D-Day and WWII in an authentic GPL military tent.  Starting with a broad overview of the history of WWII and what D-Day means in the larger context of the war, students will handle artifacts that connect them to the history they read and learn about in their classrooms.  Visits to the Memorial conclude with a tour of the Memorial by one of our highly trained tour guides. 

If you are too far for a field trip (or if field trips have been cut from your budget), we have a solution for you!  We now offer two options for distance learning.  The first is a traveling trunk.  We will send you a modified footlocker full of artifacts that relate to the homefront and the front lines, as well as several SOL-based lesson plans ready for use in your classroom.  The second option is a live, virtual programming.  Set up in a studio, the virtual programming is a way our education staff and volunteers can come to you.  Students will be able to interact in real time as they learn about WWII and D-Day. 

Students learning about life in WWII from WWII Veteran

We look forward to seeing all the students up here on-site to carry on the legacy of the largest amphibious invasion to history!  If you would like more information or to book an educational programming, please contact our education department at 540-587-3617 or via e-mail at dday@dday.org. 

Until next time,
Felicia