Some Plymouth High School students got to experience World War II history firsthand this past summer. The Plymouth School Board had the chance to hear about their trip during Tuesday’s meeting.
A group of 13 students spent roughly two weeks visiting Europe in July, according to teacher Ryan Wolfe. “This trip was focused on World War II and the Western Front,” he explained. “So everything that we did was really focused on World War II, which curriculum-wise, really hits both World History and U.S., but it was probably more focused on U.S. History, which students take as a junior. Most of our kids had had either World or U.S. prior to going.”
The trip took the students to England, France, Belgium, Germany, and Austria. Six of the students were at Tuesday’s meeting to highlight some of the places that stood out to them. Some focused on the beaches of Normandy, and U.S. and German cemeteries, while others reflected on visits to a Nazi concentration camp and a Holocaust memorial.
Wolfe said the hope is to give every Plymouth High School student the chance to experience their History curriculum firsthand. “Our vision, then, was to possibly take a trip every two years. With that, every kid would be able to at least attend them once, with these trips maybe taking place in the summer of odd years.”
Wolfe and fellow teacher Melissa Faulstich have been doing that for a couple years now, through the school’s travel club, nicknamed the Adventurous Pilgrims. Wolfe pointed out that for many students, this may be their only opportunity to travel abroad.
