Teacher Institute – Teaching with Family History
The Virginia War Memorial (VWM) welcomes Dustin Axe, School Programs and Curriculum Manager at American Ancestors®, to lead a two-day teacher workshop, “Teaching with Family History”. Genealogy is a powerful lens for teaching history, culture, and geography. Learn how to go beyond family trees and help students develop critical research and thinking skills as they explore their roots and make personal connections to history. This workshop will empower teachers to integrate genealogy into their curriculum in a way that is respectful to the sensitive nature of family history.
Teachers will also hear from special guests Patrick and Carol Finnerty, whose thirteen-year journey to discover Private Oscar Hicks was featured by WTVR CBS 6 News in November 2025. Private Hicks was killed in France during World War II, and his name is etched in glass at VWM’s Shrine of Memory: 20th Century.
VWM Archivist Sylvia Marshall will share resources and highlights from the expanding collection of documents, photos, and oral histories, housed at the USS Birmingham Research Library at VWM.
“Teaching with Family History” is free and open to all Virginia educators. Lunch is included. Proof of recertification points will be emailed to participants after the conclusion of the program.
Register today using the form below.
Teacher Institute Registration - June and July 2026
Register for the Virginia War Memorial’s 2026 Summer Teacher Institutes "Teaching with Family History" and "Yesterday and Tomorrow: A Look Inside the Global War on Terror". Institutes are free for all Virginia educators and include a complimentary lunch for in-person sessions and classroom resources. Participants are welcome to attend as many sessions as they would like and will receive recertification points for each session attended. Please contact Lizzie Oglesby (elizabeth.oglesby@dvs.virginia.gov) with any questions. We look forward to seeing you this summer.
