This three-day professional development seminar invites K–12 educators to explore the history of the Allied invasion of Normandy through the lens of strategy, leadership, and personal experience. Focusing on the planning and execution of Operation Overlord and the events surrounding the D-Day landings, the program combines historical scholarship with close analysis of primary sources to deepen teachers’ understanding of one of the most consequential military operations of the twentieth century.
Participants will examine the political and military context of the Allied campaign against Nazi Germany, including the complex planning required for the cross-Channel invasion. Through lectures and guided discussions, the seminar will explore the strategic decisions made by Allied leaders such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and the operational challenges faced by soldiers on the beaches and in the hedgerows of Normandy.
A distinctive feature of the seminar is the use of the wartime correspondence of Walter D. Ehlers—a recipient of the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Normandy campaign—and his brother Roland Ehlers, who served alongside him in the U.S. Army. Their letters provide an intimate perspective on the experiences of American soldiers preparing for and fighting in the invasion of France. By analyzing these documents, participants will consider how personal narratives illuminate the realities of combat, the bonds of family and comradeship, and the moral stakes of the war.
The seminar will also emphasize practical classroom application. Teachers will work with curated primary sources—including letters, photographs, and military documents—to develop strategies for incorporating the history of World War II and the Normandy invasion into their curricula. By the program’s conclusion, participants will leave with a richer understanding of Operation Overlord and new tools for helping students connect strategic history with the lived experiences of those who fought in the war.
Speaker:
Denver Brunsman
Dr. Denver Brunsman is Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department at George Washington University, where he is also Co-Director of the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute. His courses include “George Washington and His World,” taught annually at Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, and “The Price of Freedom: Normandy, 1944,” which includes a trip over spring break to Britain and the Normandy region of France. He is an author or editor of nine books, including his latest, George Washington and His World: Enslaver, Revolutionary, President (2026). A retired staff sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves, his honors include the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Prize for Teaching Excellence and induction into the George Washington University Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He regularly leads K-12 professional development workshops for organizations such as Humanities Texas, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and the George Washington Teacher Institute at Mount Vernon.
The three-day (Friday – Sunday) seminar is a new category of PD program for Founding Forward held through-out the year. Each summit will include historic interpreters, a content-lecture from a scholarly expert, a faculty-led discussion of relevant primary sources, and an appropriate field study of historic sites, archives, and museums.
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