The next year will be filled with planning and collaboration as David Thompson Secondary School (DTSS) gets ready to offer senior students an up-close look at World War I.

The “Century Project” is a concept presented by valley resident and history enthusiast Bill Swan who is working with a group of teachers to offer students an authentic education on a time in history that changed our country and continues to impact our lives 100 years later. Also working on the planning team as liaison with the Windermere Valley Museum is Alex Weller, DTSS alumni and graduate of the University of Alberta’s history program.

The purpose of the project is to honour the 100th anniversary of WWI by engaging students in a year of focused study exploring the social, political, cultural and personal decisions made by Canadians leading up to and during the great war, and to encourage students to appreciate the impact of the war on our current lives by developing an informed world view of where our country has been and where we are heading.

This will be achieved by offering an interested cohort of students a wide variety of proposed learning experiences such as: a Calgary War Museum tour, troops train travel, trench simulation, guest speakers, European battlefield tour, visits to Canada’s National War Museum and Parliament, and the creation of an anthology of local war stories past and present, all of which will enrich the material covered in a school board-approved Social Studies 12 and English 12 course paring.

To make the Century Project a success will require support from not only the school board and funders, but also community members who are willing to contribute their time and financial support as well as share their family stories and/or documents about the impact of the war on their family, our valley, Canada and the world.

Anyone interested in learning more about the project or becoming involved is encouraged to contact Crystal Woodworth at DTSS at (250)342-9213 ext.4535 or through email at crystal.woodworth@sd6.bc.ca.