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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Waiting is never much fun. For Wake Forest (N.C.) High School teacher Bettina Pope, exercising patience for more than fourth months proved especially challenging.
“I still can’t believe I’m here,” Pope said.
During her spring break this week, Pope finally redeemed a prize she won in the fall of 2017: the National WWI Museum and Memorial’s “Send a Deserving Teacher on an Adventure!”
In a contest featuring more than 2,000 entries from all 50 states held from Aug. 22 – Sept. 8, 2017, Pope was selected as the winner with a trip to Kansas City to visit the Museum and Memorial along with a guest serving as her prize.
Pope arrived in Kansas City on Tuesday before touring the Museum and Memorial as well as engaging with members of the organization’s curatorial and education teams during a multi-day visit.
“Regardless of what anyone teaches, the National WWI Museum and Memorial has something to offer,” Pope said. “It’s very impressive, particularly how it’s all encompassing and doesn’t focus solely on the American point of view. I teach World War I from a European perspective, so I’ve seen so many things I’ll be able to bring back to the classroom. My students may not be able to make the trip to Kansas City, but I’ll definitely bring this Museum and Memorial back to them.”
Upon being notified of winning the contest last fall, Pope said, “When I found out I was the winner of the trip to Kansas City, I kept repeating, ‘Me?! Me?!’ and I was just blown away.”
Pope was selected at random, but was assisted by a large volume of entries submitted on her behalf following a social media post about a World War I book she has used in the classroom for years.
“I believe that ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ is the most important piece of literature in our curriculum because, if taught correctly, it can influence students for the rest of their lives,” said Pope. “For the contest, I engaged former students through Facebook and asked: ‘If reading “All Quiet on the Western Front” meant anything to you, please vote!’”
Pope is currently in her 23rd year of teaching high school English in North Carolina and her 19th year at Wake Forest High School, located in Wake County outside of Raleigh. Pope’s primary subject is sophomore English/English II, which focuses on world literature in North Carolina. Additionally, Pope teaches an African American literature class. Pope visited the Museum and Memorial with her guest, Kristie Dunn, a teacher of U.S. History at Wake Forest High School.
“A core value in our mission at the National WWI Museum and Memorial is to help people understand that the Great War is the defining event of the 20th century and beyond,” said National WWI Museum and Memorial President and CEO Dr. Matthew Naylor. “Teachers are a primary avenue in educating the public on how World War I continues to affect us to this day. We’ve been thrilled to welcome Bettina and are pleased that she’s enjoyed her experience at one of the world’s great museums and memorials.”
The National WWI Museum and Memorial has earned recognition from a host of organizations, including being named one of the top 25 museums in the U.S. by Yelp and TripAdvisor, one of the top 12 military museums in the world by CNN and one of the top 10 military museums in the U.S. by USA Today.
As part of its mission, the Museum and Memorial offers a host of free resources to teachers and the general public, including lesson plans, primary source material, professional development opportunities, a teacher fellowship program, an educational newsletter and much more. Visit theworldwar.org/education-resources for more information.
About the National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and experiences of the war. The Museum and Memorial takes visitors of all ages on an epic journey through a transformative period and shares deeply personal stories of courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice. Designated by Congress as America’s official World War I Museum and Memorial and located in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the National WWI Museum and Memorial inspires thought, dialogue and learning to make the experiences of the Great War era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.