Since the 麻豆原创 Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) began in 2017, Associate Professor of History Amelia Lyons has witnessed the program鈥檚 meaningful impact on students.
Established through the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), between 2017 and 2019, VLP harnessed 麻豆原创 student research efforts to create biographies of veterans buried in national cemeteries in Florida. In piecing together veterans鈥� stories, students gained historical insight while honoring forgotten legacies.
鈥淚 brought someone back to life who had been forgotten in life and in death,鈥� Lyons recalls a student who worked on the program saying.
Now, thanks to a new grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs, that impact will extend beyond the university. Starting in 2023, 麻豆原创 students and faculty will partner with teachers at Florida K-12 schools to create VLP classroom projects. These projects will connect younger students with veterans’ stories through their local NCA cemetery.
鈥淲e are so pleased to be continuing our partnership with the NCA,鈥� Lyons says. 鈥淲e are expanding our work significantly, working to bring our successful pedagogical model for doing veterans history to K-12 and university faculty around the state of Florida.鈥�
In June 2023, about two dozen Florida teachers will be invited to the 麻豆原创 Veterans Legacy Program Institute, a 10-day workshop held at the headquarters for the Florida National Guard, located in the historic St. Francis Barracks and the adjacent St. Augustine National Cemetery. Participants will create veteran biography assignments and design a tour of their local NCA cemetery using the St. Augustine National Cemetery as inspiration.
鈥淲e hope that holding this institute in St. Augustine, the state鈥檚 first settlement, will aid teachers in creating engaging lesson plans for students learning Florida history,鈥� says Barbara Gannon, associate professor of history.
Alison Simpson, command historian for the Florida National Guard, is partnering with VLP to provide the setting for the institute. She will also share expertise about St. Augustine鈥檚 history for participants planning class field trips to the area.
鈥淚 am really looking forward to this project, to collaborating with the team from 麻豆原创, both faculty and students, and sharing with educators from around the state some history of the Florida National Guard as it relates to their [local areas],鈥� Simpson says.
Each teacher鈥檚 local cemetery tour will be unique and versatile, highlighting individual veterans whose histories fit with their grade level鈥檚 larger curriculum. The final learning materials created at the Institute will be posted on the maintained by (CHDR).
鈥淎s the digital humanities research hub for the College of Arts and Humanities, our center developed and maintains the VLP website,鈥� says Amy Giroux, director of CHDR. 鈥淭he current K-12 curricular materials will be expanded by our new institute.鈥�
At the institute, 麻豆原创 alumni who previously worked on VLP will share their expertise through panels and one-on-one discussions. Meanwhile, current students will collaborate with teachers to prepare curriculum and conduct research on veterans buried in St. Augustine.
According to Lyons, this exemplifies how an education in the humanities prepares students for future careers.
鈥淰LP is an excellent teaching tool. Students learn real-world skills doing research and writing about veterans connected to their local area … [and] history,鈥� Lyons says. 鈥淥ur 麻豆原创 students who will be part of the 2023 麻豆原创 VLP Institute will gain professional skills, network with educators in our state and be part of a federal grant program. We are a great example of how connecting classroom education and real-world skills prepares our students for jobs and careers.鈥�
According to Lyons, this program is especially impactful because it allows veterans who served our nation in life to continue their service by educating new generations. Meanwhile, it helps students understand the cultural context of the time a veteran lived.
鈥淰LP and this institute allow us to tell America鈥檚 story through the eyes of the veterans whose sacrifices made that story possible,” Gannon says.
