By Alex Greenwood,
June 24, 2024
Veteran Voices from the Heartland MA student Joey Lake and undergraduate student Truman
Harrow of UCM attend the session at the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence,
Missouri.
Faculty and students from the 欧美视频 (UCM) joined partners
to participate in professional development sessions for K-12 educators at the Missouri
State Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville, Missouri, and the Midwest Genealogy Center
in Independence, Missouri, on June 17-18, 2024.
This opportunity was made possible by funding from the .
On June 17, nineteen educators who teach grades 7-12 in the areas surrounding the
attended a professional development seminar on uncovering and documenting the life
stories of World War II era veterans interred at the cemetery. The following day,
the teachers continued their research using the extensive resources available at the
.
During the first day, participants toured the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery and
learned research techniques to uncover the personal histories of these veterans. They
also explored how to teach their students these research skills and how to upload
veteran biographies to the Veterans Legacy Memorial platform.
On the second day, the teachers utilized the Midwest Genealogy Center's resources
to deepen their research and provided feedback on a draft handbook developed by the
UCM team. This handbook is designed specifically for 7-12 grade teachers and aligns
with state standards.
The Veterans Legacy Memorial grant, received in August 2023 by UCM and its partners,
funded this professional development event as part of the grant.
UCM faculty members who presented at the event included Lauren Hays, associate professor
of education technology; Sara Sundberg, professor emerita of history; and Jon Taylor,
professor of history. Tina Ellsworth, assistant professor of education at Northwest
Missouri State University, served as an outside consultant for the grant. UCM History
graduate student Joey Lake and undergraduate student Truman Harrow, who conducted
preliminary research about the World War II veterans interred in Higginsville for
the sessions, also participated. UCM鈥檚 Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Integrity provided support and oversight for the project.
Other partners included Katie Kline, director of the , and Katie Smith and Kim Alberg from the Midwest Genealogy Center.
For more information, please contact Dr. Jon Taylor at .