Lithia Springs National History Day Teacher Selected for Silent Heroes Research Program
Stephanie Carr
LITHIA SPRINGS—Stephanie Carr, AP US History and AP American Government teacher at Lithia Springs High School, has been selected as one of the 61 educators taking part in the National History Day (NHD) Researching Silent Heroes program. This research cohort, sponsored by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), will receive six months of training with historians and research specialists to help them uncover the life of their chosen Silent Hero, an individual who served in the United States military.
Carr’s chosen hero is U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Albert Brigham, honored at Honolulu Memorial Cemetery. In learning about Brigham, Carr was struck “not just by his sacrifice in Vietnam, but by the profound context of his service. Here was a young African American man from Savannah, Georgia, who in 1966 chose to enlist and fight for a country that did not yet afford him the full measure of freedom and equality he was defending for others.”
In the cohort, Carr will develop the hands-on research skills required to bring the past to life, which she views as “an opportunity to ensure that [Brigham’s] identity is not just a name on a memorial wall, but a story of courage, conviction, and the human experience behind the uniform.” Carr hopes that her experience in the program will serve as a powerful model for her students participating in NHD: “It will allow me to show them, rather than just tell them, how to dig deeper than a textbook, how to handle sensitive topics with respect, and how to find the compelling, individual stories that make history resonate.”
Having learned about Researching Silent Heroes through the parent of one of her former NHD students, Carr credits the “passionate and engaged community that NHD fosters” for helping connect students, educators, and parents to unique opportunities and historical resources. She hopes that her experience in this program will equip her to help her students “navigate their own research challenges and, hopefully, inspire them to find a similar personal connection to their chosen topics.”
NHD Georgia is proud to support Stephanie Carr and educators like her across the state. Her full interview can be found here. For more information on the NHD Georgia program, and to learn how your school can take part, visit lagrange.edu/nhd.
About National History Day Georgia
National History Day Georgia is a program of Georgia Humanities and LaGrange College that annually engages over 15,000 middle and high school students from across the state in historical research, interpretation, and creative expression through project-based learning.
About Georgia Humanities
Georgia Humanities connects people and communities to encourage understanding and inspire hope. Through grantmaking and public programs, we engage people of all ages and backgrounds to explore what shapes us as individuals and binds us together as Georgians. Funding for Georgia Humanities is provided by the Georgia General Assembly, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and various foundations, donors, and partners.
###
