Invest in Our Education Fund
Over the years, we’ve heard stories from many of you, stories about those moments in your past when you were touched by the power of historic places – when you fell in love with battlefields. You understand that battlefields are outdoor classrooms, that museums and visitor centers are places where young and old alike can experience history up close and in a meaningful way. You understand this because those types of experiences have impacted you.
It would be hard to justify coming to you time and time again to save battlefield land if we weren’t doing something with those lands that make it worth the effort and the investment. You have come together with thousands of others to save acre after acre of battleground, to build the museums and fill them with priceless collections, and to open visitor sites throughout the Valley. In that same way, we need to come together to grow our education program so that we can engage with students at all levels using our resources to connect them to our past while helping them build their future.
Right now, we have about $225,000 in investment accounts to support our education programs. It might sound like a lot, but without touching the principle, that amount only throws off about $11,000 per year in interest earned. That’s only enough to pay the expenses for two of the three 10-week summer internships that we currently offer. Those earnings aren’t nearly enough to cover the remaining internship, provide scholarships, pay for the research fellowship we grant yearly, or even begin to cover the cost of the free field trips that we provide to school children every year. Right now, at a minimum, we need to raise $75,000 and get that account over $300,000 so that the earnings can support more of our education program. Adding $75,000 to our education fund will help ensure that we continue to engage youth with our battlefields and support the learning of college students at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
We are very fortunate to have some in our ranks who are real believers in the long-term positive benefits of a strong education program. They have provided tens of thousands of dollars to get this program off the ground. No one person has done more than one of our Trustees, Commander Craig Morin, to champion and to fund this program, and he is challenging all of us to put our shoulders to the wheel and to take our education program to the next level.
He wanted me to tell you that he will match the first $20,000 we raise in this campaign, dollar for dollar! That means – thanks to his continued generosity and leadership – the power of your gift can be doubled if you act today and contribute toward that first $20,000. I hope you consider taking Commander Morin up on his challenge by becoming a patron of our young students.
Your gift can truly keep history alive in the hearts and minds of our young people. Please take part in this campaign by making a gift to help build our education fund. Your investment will be generational, and your impact will be timeless.