Windham Jr High School’s Stephanie Smith and her junior high students grade classroom will soon head to Put-in-Bay, thanks to a grant from the American Battlefield Trust’s History Field Trip Grant Program. This trip will provide students with an exceptional, hands-on history learning opportunity. Grants are awarded based on a competitive national application process, demonstrating Stephanie Smith’s commitment to excellence in the classroom.
“This is an amazing opportunity for my students. We’ve been studying the War of 1812 and this experience will allow them to learn beyond the classroom walls. Through our trip they will gain a better understanding of the Battle of Lake Erie as well as see firsthand the important role Lake Erie played in helping our young country gain financial stability. I am so grateful we were awarded these funds to make this trip possible. My students and I appreciate the support from the American Battlefield Trust” Said Smith.
The American Battlefield Trust is the largest battlefield land preservation organization in the country, having saved more than 58,000 acres of hallowed ground across 24 states. Through visiting preserved battlefields and walking in the footsteps of the citizen soldiers who fought there, the Trust aims to provide a foundation of good citizenship for the leaders of tomorrow. The Trust strives to produce excellent educational resources in a variety of formats for educators and the public alike, ensuring that Americans never forget how their country was forged.
Every year, the Trust receives applications from classrooms across the country to participate in the History Field Trip Grant Program, which offers funding and assistance to K-12 teachers planning field trips to Civil War, War of 1812, or Revolutionary War battlefields and related historic sites. During the 2022-2023 school year, more than 10,000 students from 33 states took part.
“These kids get a chance to go to where history was made, where our country was created and defined,” said Trust President David Duncan of the History Field Trip Grant Program recipients, “Battlefields are outdoor classrooms that will teach future Americans about our democratic republic.”
Stephanie Smith has enormous enthusiasm for teaching history and is excited to utilize the Lake Erie area as an outdoor classroom that will give her students a meaningful and memorable experience. The American Battlefield Trust is proud to support and empower such excellent educators as they inspire the next generation of proud Americans.
The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.
