DCG High School Social Studies Teacher Katy Forsythe and student Sharla Benning were selected for the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute, an intensive study of the Normandy Campaign of 1944.
Forsythe and Benning are one of only 15 student-teacher teams chosen from across the country. The group will meet bi-weekly with the other recipients to discuss project readings and lecture topics.
“I’m thrilled to deepen my understanding of one of the major turning points in WWII and to honor a local soldier by telling their story,” shares Forsythe. “I’m very grateful that I get to share the power of place-based learning with one of our fantastic DCG students!”
After five months of in-depth study, the team will travel to Washington DC to expand their research work at George Washington University. Institute members will hear from experts in their field about topics like the American home front, antisemitism, the experience of African American soldiers and civilians during the war, the process of memorialization, and much more.
“I’m so excited to look into Normandy with deeper sources than what I can find online, as well as share my thoughts with people who are just as interested as I am,” says Benning.
Following their stay in Washington, DC, Institute participants will board a plane to France and, upon landing, travel by bus directly to Normandy. Based in the town of Bayeux, they will spend about a week exploring the region and visiting many of the sites they have been studying, as well as present their findings from their soldier biography at the Normandy American Cemetery and contribute their paper to the cemetery’s archives. Members will have the opportunity to walk on Omaha and Utah Beach, explore German Atlantic Wall fortifications, and visit other battle sites, cemeteries, and historical museums before spending a final day in Paris.
In addition to their learning, Forsythe and Benning will complete two research projects. The first will be a brief paper summarizing their experience throughout the course. They will also identify a soldier from or near their hometown who is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer and create a presentation about them. Throughout the semester, the teams will work with archival documents — including online census records, draft cards, enlistment records, letters, school yearbooks, and other sources — to piece together the life of the soldier. Student-teacher teams will compile their information into a short biography of their soldier that, once completed, will be given to the American Battle Monuments Commission to be held in the archives at the Normandy American Cemetery. On the Institute’s last day in Normandy, students will present their biography of the soldier they have studied at the Normandy American Cemetery. If your family has a connection to a soldier buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, our team would love to connect with you. Reach out to Katy at katy.forsythe@dcgschools.com to begin the conversation!