Chatelech Secondary School teacher Leah Judd is among the 20 educators selected to tour the battlefields of the First and Second World Wars in Belgium and France.
“This is a fantastic opportunity,” said Judd from The Hague, Netherlands, where she was visiting prior to the start of the tour. Judd teaches Grade 10 social studies and Grade 12 history.
The program is run by the Juno Beach Centre, which operates a museum in Normandy, France about the D-Day Landing Beaches. The museum was founded in 2003 by Second World War veterans.
The centre’s Summer Institute and Battlefield Tour takes place from July 25 to Aug. 6 and provides professional development training on the battlefields of the two world wars.
For Judd, the appeal of the tour comes from being able to teach students stories rather than simply dates and names, which creates personal connection and makes events easier to remember. “Stories really make a difference,” she said.
Those personal stories extend into Judd’s life – and are another reason she applied. She was visiting The Netherlands because it’s the birthplace of her father, who was cared for at a Catholic orphanage during the Second World War.
Educators selected for the tour must apply and demonstrate how the experience will benefit them professionally and personally, and how teaching Canadian history will enhance the school and community.
“Leah has a demonstrated history of seeking learning opportunities, and has already taken many steps in her classroom to share stories of Canada’s military history by working with her local Legion and welcoming veterans into her classroom,” said Jen Sguigna, program manager for Juno Beach Centre Association.
The teachers are scheduled to visit the Ypres Salient, Vimy Ridge, Beaumont-Hamel, Dieppe, and the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy. They will also be guests at a remembrance ceremony at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy.
Judd said she expects to “pay it forward” by inviting other students on a trip to Europe to tour historical sites. She also wants to bring home artefacts and would like to see a space dedicated for First and Second World War memorabilia on the Sunshine Coast.
