CT in World War 1 Project Selected Game Changers
The Connecticut State Library is pleased to announce that our Connecticut in World War I (CTinWW1) project has been selected as a Game Changer by Connecticut Explored, the nonprofit organization that publishes Connecticut Explored magazine. This award is part of their “20 for 20: Innovation in Connecticut History,” a series highlighting 20 “Game Changers” whose work is advancing the study, interpretation, and dissemination of Connecticut history.
“This is an honor, not just for the State Library, but for all the people who took part in the various projects and programs that have been part of CTinWW1.” said Project Director Christine Pittsley. “The impact of these programs has been far greater than we could’ve imagined and we could not have accomplished this without the support of the people, organizations, and communities across Connecticut.”
Connecticut in World War I is an ongoing commemoration of the state’s role in World War I at the Connecticut State Library (CSL). The project began at the start of the war’s centennial in 2014 and has featured a Twitter campaign using archival material from The Hartford Courant, public programs and lectures, art exhibitions, and an oral history project with the Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) journalism department.
Three programs in particular demonstrate how Connecticut in WWI put our state at the forefront of the nation’s commemorative efforts. “Remembering World War I: Sharing History/Preserving Memories,” an award-winning community archiving program, held 46 events in towns across the state in which family-held WWI collections and stories were recorded and digitized. CSL also hosted a red-carpet world premiere of the animated feature film Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero in New Haven. Third, CSL’s award-winning “Digging Into History” brought 15 Connecticut high school students to Seicheprey, France in 2019 for a life-changing experiential education program. Working alongside 16 French students, the group cleared and restored trenches occupied by Connecticut soldiers during the first German offensive against American troops. Connecticut in World War I will be featured in a Grating the Nutmeg podcast to be released November 1, 2022. To learn more please visit ctinworldwar1.org.
Connecticut in World War 1 was one of a pool of 120 nominations submitted by members of the public in Fall 2021, and was one of 20 programs and people chosen by an advisory team charged with choosing the 20 Game Changers in the State of Connecticut that will be the centerpiece of CT Explored’s year-long celebration of its 20th anniversary starting this fall.
The “20 for 20: Innovation in Connecticut History,” is an initiative, funded by grants from Connecticut Humanities and is sponsored by Trinity College, and is the centerpiece of CT Explored’s year-long celebration of its 20th anniversary starting this Fall. During the coming year Connecticut Explored will highlight each of the Game Changers in CT Explored magazine, on the Grating the Nutmeg podcast that it co-produces with State Historian Emeritus Walter Woodward.