Veterans Heritage Learning Center

______________________________________

Our Mission Statement

“The New Hampshire Veterans Heritage Learning Center offers a robust, creative and interactive educational environment for students and the public to learn about the selfless service and sacrifice of our NH military veterans and their vital role in all aspects of our nation’s distinguished military history.”

_______________________________________________________________

Donations

** IMPORTANT NOTICE - Now that the Center is open, we appreciate the generosity of those wishing to donate items. We CANNOT accept any form of firearm regardless of age of the item. Because we host young students in the building, we are not covered for any liability related to firearms (even inert), sharp objects & weapons. If you have a firearm you wish to donate for public display, we recommend the Wright Museum in Wolfeboro, NH or Support our Troops Inc. https://supportourtroops.org/donate 

_______________________________________________________________

In the Beginning... The NH State Veterans Cemetery has become a living memorial. Family, friends, veteran's groups and students from local schools come to visit, see and learn about the generations of veterans buried here. Soon after the Cemetery’s opening we recognized the importance of providing a resource to the public to facilitate education about our honored veterans and the crucial role they have played in securing our freedom. Thus, the idea of the Veterans Heritage Learning Center was born.

New Hampshire has a long and proud military history dating back to the 1600’s. Over the course of almost four centuries, one in every ten Granite Staters has served in our nation’s military. New Hampshire’s history of military service is significant and needs to be shared with all generations, from the very young to the very old. The Association advanced the Learning Center project start - up funds in order to support the early planning and design of the various aspects of the Center including the development of a documentary film ("A Living Memorial"), internal interactive and static exhibit plan, and construction of the Learning Center core. The 1200 square foot Learning Center attached to the back of the current Administration Building will house kiosk exhibits of NH heroes, a multi-media "Foot Locker theater" featuring hands-on exhibits and military items from various wars and services, interactive learning and a “Journey of the NH Soldier” time line. An interactive “NH Veterans Serve” Touch Table will be located in the middle of the Center where visitors may explore NH military units and their participation in wars and campaigns throughout our history. The Center is designed to be multi-functional, where the portable display walls and Footlocker seating can be moved to open the area to host meetings or a more traditional classroom configuration. The Center plans to be part of a New Hampshire historical curriculum (which the Center will assist in designing) and connect to a larger network of historical sites throughout the state to form a network of educational opportunities for teachers and students when planning excursions outside the classroom.  

The Learning Center...

Visitors to the Cemetery, including over 600 students annually, currently learn about and make personal connections with the over 10,700 NH veterans and family members buried on the grounds. Through the 20 Points of History constructed in 2000, and updated in 2015, along with the Memorial Walkway, visitors gain knowledge of New Hampshire veterans who have served our country. The new Veterans Heritage Learning Center will expand these educational opportunities by creating an interactive “classroom”, enhancing and connecting the history and events inside the Center with the stories of those interred, making real, the history of NH and our country.

The State of New Hampshire owns the building in which the Veterans Heritage Learning Center resides. The Association is responsible for planning any improvements to infrastructure as well as supporting operations that benefit the Cemetery. Once a project is approved by the State, the Association is responsible for raising funds from the private sector to support enhancements and program.

The plan is to create a flexible schedule for the Veterans Heritage Learning Center to be staffed and functional as soon as possible for students, educators and visitors. Future programming and operations for the Center will be supported through donations to the Learning Center and an endowment fund to sustain operations. Association leadership expects the number of students visiting the Center to triple within 3 years and the number of schools participating to expand substantially. 

To complete the Veterans Heritage Learning Center, NH Veterans Cemetery Association initiated a $700,000 building campaign to complete both the building and exhibits that will be installed within the Learning Center as they are developed and completed.

The Learning Center was officially opened to the public on November 11, 2018, to coincide with the 100th Anniversary of Veterans Day. Individuals, families, businesses and foundations generously contributed to this campaign in a variety of ways allowing us to exceed our fundraising goals. 

_______________________________________________________________

How to Donate to the Learning Center

ONLINE: Donations can be made online by clicking on green "Donate" button at the top right of the screen, select "Heritage Ctr Donation" from the drop-down list and entering the amount you wish to donate in the box on the right. Your credit card will be billed the amount you provide through a secure banking service, and you will receive a confirmation of your donation via email.

    PAYPAL: If you have a Paypal account, you can click on the Paypal logo to go to the donation page.

   BY CHECK: If you wish to mail a check, please make out the check to "NH Veterans Cemetery Association" and send it to:

We thank you in advance for your consideration to donate to the Veterans Heritage Learning Center.  Your contribution will assist in our goal of bringing a continuing awareness to our rich Military heritage and sacrifice of our Veterans who have served with honor and distinction.

Thank You!

NHVCA Board of Directors