Education
The mission of the education department is to enhance students’ understanding of military history through the stories, sacrifices, and values of citizen-soldiers. We are dedicated to sharing topics with students around the American Revolution, American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War.
Learn With Us
Learn MoreVirtual Classroom Connections and webinars from the Virtual Learning Studio
Learn MoreEvery field trip will be greeted by a museum educator with a 15-minute inquiry-based activity and provided a Student Gallery Guide to explore the exhibit
In the Classroom
ExploreAccess more than 400 programs on military history, military affairs and national security
Upcoming Events
From the Lavender Scare to Don't Ask Don't Tell
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is looking at what happens when fear is given a place of privilege in government. The Lavender Scare marks a period of rampant discrimination by the federal government and military of the LGBTQ+ community. Members were fired and/or court martialed immediately based solely on one’s association with the community. Join us and the host of The Cold War channel on YouTube, David Schroeder, as we look at a historical view of the relationship between the federal government and LGBTQ+ communities during the Cold War period and beyond. The Cold War channel is an examination of the history of the latter half of the 20th Century. Host David Schroeder holds an undergraduate degree in History and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in military history from the University of Wolverhampton.
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Women in the War of 1812
For a nation fighting for freedom, American women had limited political and economic rights under the US government during the War of 1812. Some women expressed dissatisfaction with limitations in the new nation that claimed to value equality, personal freedom, and opportunity for political and economic advancement among its citizens. Some began to shape new entrepreneurial paths for themselves by working outside the domestic realm to support their families. The Pritzker Military Museum & Library joins Kate Hardy of the National Park Service to learn about the courageous activities of women during the War of 1812. Our education webinars are free of charge, and live participation in our webinar Q & A is encouraged. This webinar will be recorded for later viewing by registrants.
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Victory Mail of WWII: When Sending Microfilmed Letters Contributed to the War Effort
Looking into a little-known piece of war and postal history, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library joins Lynn Heidelbaugh from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum to discuss what motivated friends and family separated by WWII to send holiday letters. We will also learn about why they communicated using some of the United States’ most advanced wartime technology, V-Mail. The US government offered V-Mail communications, also known as Victory Mail, between June 1942 to November 1945 to expedite mail service for American armed forces overseas. V-Mail combined light-weight stationery and microfilm, which could be transported by airplanes. This not only saved space on ships for other vital military supplies but also helped people keep in contact during wartime conditions. We will discuss why and how the US military and post office set up this new, temporary communication service, and how advertising campaigns promoted the use of V-Mail as patriotic.
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