News Release: Teachers Ceremony At The Wall

18 July 2008

Teachers from around the country will gather at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, for a remembrance ceremony that will conclude the Teach Vietnam Teachers Network National Conference.

The national conference is being held at American University from July 16-20. On the final full day of activities, participants will gather at The Wall to remember a loved one or member of their community who is named on The Wall. Tributes will be read at the ceremony, which will begin at 6 p.m. on the East Knoll near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Then, teachers will take their tributes and a wreath and leave them at The Wall.

“We have found that the most effective lessons have a personal aspect,” said Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, which is hosting the conference. “Many teachers assign their students a name on The Wall and ask them to find out about that person. By asking our conference attendees to do the same thing and then pay tribute to that person in a Remembrance Ceremony, we are illustrating the power of putting a face with a name.”

The Teach Vietnam Teachers Network is a nationwide network of educators at all grade levels who are dedicated to teaching students about the Vietnam War era and building awareness of the Memorial Fund’s educational initiatives. This year’s conference is the fifth national gathering of the Teachers Network.

In addition to the classroom presentations, Teachers Conference attendees are taking part in a variety of activities around Washington, D.C., including a congressional breakfast, a panel discussion at the Newseum and and a free concert given at American University by country singer Keni Thomas. All of these events are open to the public.

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