The Bringing War Home Project offers students myriad opportunities to engage in public digital humanities and research. Students can hone their skills in primary and secondary source evaluation, oral and written communication, and interpretation through ANTH 3390/HIST 3390 the Objects of War undergraduate course.
Working one-on-one with the Project Directors students can deepen their understanding through experiential learning. Utilizing the digital archive, students can design research and public engagement projects.
Honors Research and Internship Opportunities
Here are some potential student-led project ideas.
Outreach And Social Media
- Coordinate and conduct outreach to veteran communities and military
- Working on social media posts and advertising
- Create outreach materials, including blog posts, radio segments
Digital Archive
- Updating records and data entry
- Transcribing oral histories
- Managing digital photographs
Research
- Assist with historical research using the archive
- Conduct material culture analysis using object stories from the archive
Education
- Create lesson plans using the archive
- Create storymaps
- Create exhibits for the Museum of Anthropology
ANTH/HIST 3390 Objects of War
Objects of War (ANTH/HIST 3390), both equips students with the historical context for understanding America’s participation in 20th and 21st century armed conflicts through primary source materials that highlight personal experiences and allows them to develop a range of interpersonal and digital skills. This course will next be offered in Spring 2027.
Research & Discovery
Students develop historical literacy by learning how to find, evaluate, and interpret primary and secondary sources related to twentieth-century wars. Hands-on work with objects and oral histories helps them see material culture as evidence of lived experience—not just artifacts.
“Now I think of what the object would’ve meant to the owner… in a historical context and why we give it value.”
Critical Thinking & Self-Reflection
Through oral history interviews, community conversations, and reflective writing, students explore how the legacies of war persist in families and everyday life. Engaging directly with the public helps transform abstract history into personal, meaningful narratives.
“Our roadshow project gave us the opportunity to document the stories behind the object to give them life.”
Clear & Effective Communication
Students strengthen written, oral, and digital communication skills by presenting historical research through essays, discussions, public presentations, and multimedia storytelling within a digital collection.
Collaboration & Community Engagement
By organizing and hosting a public roadshow, students gain real-world experience working in teams, coordinating logistics, and communicating with community partners—learning firsthand how collective effort makes public history possible.
Honors Book Labs
“I think I could have taken this book at face value and come away with how hard the Vietnam War is and how terrible to lose human lives, but in addition to this I feel like I came away with a whole new point of view of what it meant to live in our society.”
- Student Response to Honors Book Lab
Upcoming
- Fall 2026: The Good War by Studs Terkel
Past
- Spring 2024: Don’t Mean Nothing by Susan O’Neill
- Spring 2023: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien