Since the UCF Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) began in 2017, Associate Professor of History Amelia Lyons has witnessed the program 麻豆精品 S檚 meaningful impact on students.
Established through the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), between 2017 and 2019, VLP harnessed UCF student research efforts to create biographies of veterans buried in national cemeteries in Florida. In piecing together veterans 麻豆精品 S� stories, students gained historical insight while honoring forgotten legacies.
麻豆精品 S淚 brought someone back to life who had been forgotten in life and in death, 麻豆精品 S� 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, UCF 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.
麻豆精品 S淲e are so pleased to be continuing our partnership with the NCA, 麻豆精品 S� Lyons says. 麻豆精品 S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. 麻豆精品 S�
In June 2023, about two dozen Florida teachers will be invited to the UCF 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.
麻豆精品 S淲e hope that holding this institute in St. Augustine, the state 麻豆精品 S檚 first settlement, will aid teachers in creating engaging lesson plans for students learning Florida history, 麻豆精品 S� 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 麻豆精品 S檚 history for participants planning class field trips to the area.
麻豆精品 S淚 am really looking forward to this project, to collaborating with the team from UCF, 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], 麻豆精品 S� Simpson says.
Each teacher 麻豆精品 S檚 local cemetery tour will be unique and versatile, highlighting individual veterans whose histories fit with their grade level 麻豆精品 S檚 larger curriculum. The final learning materials created at the Institute will be posted on the maintained by (CHDR).
麻豆精品 S淎s the digital humanities research hub for the College of Arts and Humanities, our center developed and maintains the VLP website, 麻豆精品 S� says Amy Giroux, director of CHDR. 麻豆精品 S淭he current K-12 curricular materials will be expanded by our new institute. 麻豆精品 S�
At the institute, UCF 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.
麻豆精品 S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, 麻豆精品 S� Lyons says. 麻豆精品 S淥ur UCF students who will be part of the 2023 UCF 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. 麻豆精品 S�
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.
麻豆精品 S淰LP and this institute allow us to tell America 麻豆精品 S檚 story through the eyes of the veterans whose sacrifices made that story possible,” Gannon says.
