The Application for the Class of 2024 has Closed.

Thank you so much to everyone who applied! 
The application for the Class of 2025 will open on October 1, 2024.
Please review the program overview and application instructions or contact us with any questions!

Walk the Path of Freedom

The Albert H. Small Normandy Institute takes 15 high school student-teacher teams through an intensive program to learn about the D-Day Campaign of 1944. The Institute begins in January with online discussions and weekly reading assignments and culminates in late June with travel to Washington, DC and then to Normandy, France.

During the semester, the student-teacher teams will participate in discussions and watch lectures by Institute Staff from the George Washington University. They will study and present upon a specific topic pertaining to the Normandy campaign and engage in extensive research on the life of a solider buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-Sur-Mer. While in Normandy, students will present a briefing on their particular topic and deliver a eulogy for the soldier they have researched at their graveside in the Normandy American Cemetery. 
​
Students should be Sophomores or Juniors at the time of application. Teachers of any grade level (elementary, middle, high school) can apply and do not need to teach history. The Institute has accepted teams from all 50 states. Please refer to the Program Overview page, or email us at [email protected] or use the contact us form for more information. 

What to Expect

Study

Visit the George Washington University campus to participate in activities ranging from listening to lectures by GW and other faculty members, visiting Arlington National Cemetery, to researching at the National Archives at College Park, MD

Research

Follow a soldier from your hometown through combat and write their biography with primary sources from the National Archives and other sources

Explore

Walk the beaches and battlefields of Normandy, explore the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall, and visit historical and cultural sites in Paris

Present

Give your soldier's eulogy at the American cemetery in France and contribute your paper to the cemetery's archives​

Important 2024 Program Dates

• September 1, 2023: Applications Open
• December 1, 2023: Applications Close
• Mid-December: Applicants will be notified
• January 17, 2024: Online Bi-Weekly Discussions Begin
• June 18, 2024: Teams arrive in Washington, DC
• June 23, 2024: Teams depart DC for France
• June 30, 2024: Teams return to DC via Washington Dulles Airport

How to Apply

 Please refer to the Application Instructions for further details on applying.