The Normandy Leadership Experience

The Normandy Leadership Experience not only reinforced my belief that leadership is an integral part of the business school curriculum, but that the same leadership issues have been around for thousands of years. Leaders have always had to think about whether there is good communication, whether their troops understand their intent, and whether their troops are empowered to make decisions. Those things transcend time… While the history lessons were amazing, what really made this a great trip were the people… After you graduate from Wharton, you sometimes lose sight of how powerful it can be to get a group of people together to learn and discuss a common topic of interest. To be able to recapture that on this trip was great.

Roger Crandall
President and CEO
MassMutual

The Normandy Leadership Experience for Parents & Teens

The Normandy Leadership Experience for Parents & Teens is an opportunity for families to share a meaningful learning adventure on the site of one of history's greatest dramas: the Allied liberation of France that began on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

We will explore the personal stories of the individuals—in many cases young men just a few years out of their teens—who, through their actions, shaped the course of history and earned themselves the title "America's Greatest Generation." We will visit the very spots where these men made history.

Along the way we will build bonds, visit some truly amazing places, strengthen our communication skills and come to a deeper understanding of how people operate in groups—families, teams and schools. We'll gain a refreshing new view of history, not as a dry list of names and dates, but as the story of people just like us who faced great challenges. Our goals are to have fun, learn something and think. Among the questions we'll explore

How We'll Learn

In the months leading up to our trip, families will do a little guided research on some of the individuals whose stories we'll explore in Normandy. This will enrich the experience once we stand on the very ground where these men fought.

A few hours after dawn on D-Day, a New Yorker named Marcus Heim and a small group of fellow paratroopers dug foxholes beside the narrow Merderet River. Heim and the other GI's expected an enemy attack along the road just yards away from his position. German tanks would try to punch through and hit the vulnerable invasion beaches a few miles away. Heim's job was to stop them. It was his first day of combat; he was twenty years old.

During the three-and-a-half day tour of the invasion area, our team will bring to life the historical background and facilitate in-depth discussion of leadership in action.