Mike Thornton Fellows for Normandy Academy
Learn more about the 2022 Summer Experience.
The National World War II Museum’s Normandy Academy is a 12-day immersive summer learning experience in New Orleans, LA and Normandy, France that challenges students to learn from the choices made before and during the historic D-Day landings. Through the generosity of HIES grandparents Shellie and Tee Baur, two students will be selected each year as the Mike Thornton Fellows for Normandy Academy, and receive full scholarships (including flights, tuition, meals, etc...) to participate in the Academy. For more information, see Normandy Academy’s website.
Dates: July 11-23, 2023
Participants: Applying students must be rising juniors or rising seniors at HIES, and must have taken or currently be taking United States History or United States History Honors.
Application Due Date: Monday, Nov. 28, 2022
Application Requirements
(All documents should be submitted electronically in PDF format; use the links at the bottom of this page to download forms):
- Short Essay (500 words or less) in response to the following question: Why do you want to participate in the Normandy Academy trip, and how do you hope to benefit from this program?
- Interview with History faculty
- Current Resume/CV
- Participation and Acknowledgment form, signed by both student and parent/guardian.
- Recommendation Form from a teacher.
Application Process
Interested students should download the Participation and Acknowledgment form from this site (available above) and direct their Recommender to the Teacher Recommender form (above) and submission box (below). Students must submit all required documents using the application forms below by Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. Teacher recommendation forms are due at the same time.
Finalists may be invited to participate in an interview with the committee. The two Mike Thornton Fellows will be notified of their selection by the end of 2021, after which the school will assist them in submitting their information to the Normandy Academy/World War II Museum. At that point, the Normandy Academy will work directly with students to arrange all travel and logistical details for the program; all cost will be covered by the Mike Thornton Fellows for Normandy Academy scholarship. Students selected as Mike Thornton Fellows must commit to the Normandy Academy program; pending any emergencies, they are expected to remain committed and participate fully.
Follow Up
During the subsequent school year, the Mike Thornton Fellows will be required to give a brief presentation on their experience to the eighth-grade class. The presentation will take place at a date to be determined during the winter, in alignment with the Post-1900 World unit on World War II.