The Manitoba government is launching a multi-year pilot program to send Manitoba high school students to the historic battlefields of the world wars, Premier Wab Kinew and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced on June 6.
"Learning the lessons of history and honouring the sacrifices made by Canadians before us is a key element of understanding and upholding human rights, diversity and inclusion in our province," said Kinew. "As part of the 2024 speech from the throne, our government committed to a program that will teach future generations of Manitobans about who we are as a people. Our government is introducing this new program to send Grade 11 and 12 students on a trip to the historic battlefields of the first and second world wars."
The first school divisions to participate in the program are the Winnipeg School Division, Frontier School Division and Brandon School Division. In November 2025, a total of 25 students and chaperones from four schools (Collège Churchill High School, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre and Sisler High School) will visit multiple historic and commemorative sites like Juno Beach in Normandy, Vimy Ridge and In Flanders Fields Museum.
"Exploring and understanding Canada's national identity is a core curriculum outcome in the Grade 11 History of Canada course," said Schmidt. "This trip will provide an immersive experience to help those teachings be understood and felt by Manitoba students."
The Manitoba government is providing a total of $200,000 to fund the first year of the program. Plans are in progress to extend the program to more school divisions and schools in the coming years so more students can participate in the experience, noted Schmidt.
For more information on Manitoba's kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum, visit:
www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/framework/index.html
