THE PEARL HARBOR HISTORIC SITES SEEK DONATIONS TO BRING 16 STUDENT-TEACHER TEAMS TO HAWAII FOR SACRIFICE FOR FREEDOM® INSTITUTE
Annual Program Offers Immersive Student-Teacher Learning Focused on WWII History
The Pearl Harbor Historic Sites, in partnership with National History Day, will host 16 student-teacher teams from across the country this July as part of Sacrifice for Freedom®. The program provides students and teachers the opportunity to visit Hawaii and experience history first-hand at Pearl Harbor and other unforgettable World War II sites. It is offered at no cost to the educators and students.
The Pearl Harbor Historic Sites has created a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $80,000 to provide travel, lodging, educational programming, and Hawaii experiences for the 16 competitively chosen student/teacher teams selected to participate this summer. All donations are greatly appreciated and 100 percent tax-deductible in the U.S.
Sacrifice for Freedom®: World War II in the Pacific Student & Teacher Institute program is designed by National History Day® (NHD) to educate students about the sacrifice of war, the cultural history of Hawai‘i and the legacy of Silent Heroes®, who are buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) in Honolulu.
Prior to the institute, students select and research the lives of a Silent Hero. After a week of being steeped in WWII history, students then give a eulogy at the servicemember’s grave.
Past participants noted the institute provides a significant professional development experience and that the research and Hawaii-based learning activities challenged their thinking and expanded their perspective on history.
“These students and teachers spend months learning about people from their communities who died during World War II and all of the historic events that took place in the Pacific,” said Mike Carr, President and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association. “It is very fulfilling to see our younger generations so interested in history and dedicated to honoring all our Silent Heroes. This is a great program to support, and we encourage everyone to do the same.”
Traditionally, the nonprofit organizations that comprise The Pearl Harbor Historic Sites have covered the costs for Sacrifice for Freedom®. This year, however, as the organizations attempt to rebuild from the pandemic, The Pearl Harbor Historic Sites asks for the public’s help in sharing the values of our Greatest Generation with the leaders of tomorrow.
For more information about the program, click here.
To support the program, donate here.
About the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites
Welcoming more than 1.5 million visitors each year, the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites include three independent memorials and operated by private, nonprofit organizations. Together, in partnership, they carry forth the legacies of several of our nation’s most treasured icons, enduring tributes to the valor and sacrifices of our veterans during a time when the future of our nation and the world truly hung in the balance. The result is a powerful visitor destination and cumulative educational experience that has grown. For more information, visit www.PearlHarborHistoricSites.org.