A partnership between Dr. Jing Williams,
University of South Dakota's School of Education,
and the Veterans of Foriegn Wars Post 3061
What is Project 415?
The name, "Project 415", comes from the course I teach at the University of South Dakota, SEED 415: 7-12 Social Science Methods. From spring 2016 to spring 2019, I incorporated a community-based research project in this course, which was entitled "Clay County's Fallen", sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] post 3061 in Vermillion, South Dakota. Each student enrolled in this course researches a fallen hero from Clay County, South Dakota, and writes a biography for that fallen hero. Every year, the first place winner of this contest is invited as the guest speaker at the Memorial Day Observance in Clay County, South Dakota, presenting his or her research findings of a local fallen hero. I have compiled some students' research work into two books.
Starting in spring 2020, my class has worked on a different project: "Through Their Eyes: War & Peace." This project requires each student to interview a veteran who were deployed overseas and write a biography about that veteran. This project is a collaboration with the VFW Post 3061 and the South Dakota Oral History Center. Due to COVID-19, there was no oral contest in spring 2020, but students completed the written aspect of the project.
It is our hope that our service members' stories can be remembered forever.
Starting in spring 2020, my class has worked on a different project: "Through Their Eyes: War & Peace." This project requires each student to interview a veteran who were deployed overseas and write a biography about that veteran. This project is a collaboration with the VFW Post 3061 and the South Dakota Oral History Center. Due to COVID-19, there was no oral contest in spring 2020, but students completed the written aspect of the project.
It is our hope that our service members' stories can be remembered forever.
Why Project 415?
Project 415 is designed to enlighten future secondary social studies teachers how to teach about wars from a human perspective, teach them how to do research through local archives and online resources and how to conduct interviews, increase their awareness of veterans' sacrifices to this country, and foster a strong and positive relationship between the University of South Dakota and the local community.