Author Archives: Michael K. Barbour

About Michael K. Barbour

Michael K. Barbour is the Director of Faculty Development and a Professor of Instructional Design for the College of Education and Health Sciences at Touro University California. He has been involved with K-12 online learning in a variety of countries for well over a decade as a researcher, teacher, course designer and administrator. Michael's research focuses on the effective design, delivery and support of K-12 online learning, particularly for students located in rural jurisdictions.

New Onboarding is Here!

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An item from the Wreaths Across America organization.

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Hello,

We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer. National Wreaths Across America Day is fast approaching! With over 5,000 participating locations, there’s a lot of preparation to come.

We are ready to begin our new onboarding process! Returning and new Honor Fleet members alike must attend one of three, short webinars. In this webinar, you’ll learn more about the mission, your role, and logistics necessary for a successful season. Please select a webinar date and time below and register today!

Preliminary Load Confirmations (PLC) have been sent out. In order to keep the same load(s) from last year, you must email back to the signed PLC by September 8, or it will go on the open load list for other carriers to choose.

We’d like to remind you to whitelist us! Please add trucking@wreathsacrossamerica.org to your list of approved/trusted senders in your email. You may have to work with your company’s IT team to do so. Once whitelisted, our emails won’t end up in spam, so you won’t miss out on important updates as the season ramps up.

Should you need anything, the WAA Transportation Team is always here – don’t hesitate to reach out! Thank you for your continued support, flexibility and passion for the mission.

With gratitude,
WAA Transportation Team

Webinars

Please attend one of three webinars as part of our new onboarding process. Whether you’re a returning partner or it’s your first season, we have new information to share with you. Please click the button below to choose your session.

Can’t make any of the sessions? Email Courtney George & Sarah Worcester directly at trucking@wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Click to Register

Your Impact

Because of you, the mission moves forward. Hauling what is referred to as “a truckload of respect,” members of the Honor Fleet transport millions of sponsored veterans’ wreaths to locations all across the country. On National Wreaths Across America Day, these wreaths are laid on veterans’ graves.

When placing the wreath, volunteers say the name of the service member out loud, remembering and honoring their sacrifice. These wreaths could not reach their location to be placed without you!

Professional Driver Quick Facts

We’re looking forward to a successful season! Here are some quick facts for professional drivers and carriers to keep in mind:

In most cases, unless otherwise stated, all professional drivers participating should expect a multi-stop load when delivering veterans’ wreaths for WAA; on average, 8-12 stops.
Because sponsorships continue to come in right up to the last minute, final wreath counts are not available until the professional driver arrives for loading.
Load drops can be delivered on the route that best suits the professional driver!
Don’t be surprised if volunteers at the location are full of gratitude and want to make a connection with you; YOU are valued by the local community!

Trucking Tuesdays

Listen to Trucking Tributes every Tuesday on Wreaths Across America Radio. If you have a story you’d like to share, click on the button below to schedule an interview.

Share Your Story

Stay in the Know

The Moving the Mission Facebook Group is a space for supporters of Wreaths Across America working in the transportation industry to connect with and learn from one another. Members will share their stories of support, learn more about Wreaths Across America, including volunteer opportunities, and network with other industry professionals.

Join the Group

Featured Merchandise

With the 2025 “Keep Moving Forward” challenge coin on hand, you will always be reminded of this important message and be able to show your support for Wreaths Across America!

Browse all of our memorabilia here, or click on the button below to purchase the coin.

Buy Here

Wreaths Across America, PO Box 249, Columbia Falls, ME 04623, United States, 877-385-9504

100 images (Part 1): Legion Nationals produce record-breaking performances

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An item from the Legion Magazine.

Lily Stroda of B.C./Yukon defended her Nationals U-18 heptathlon title in dominant style, breaking fellow-B.C.er Niki Oudenaarden’s 10-year-old national record with 5,573 points. Stroda won the LeRoy Washburn Award as the championships’ top female Legion athlete. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]

100 images (Part 1): Legion Nationals produce record-breaking performances

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

The 47th Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships proved memorable, producing a pair of national record-breakers in heptathlete Lily Stroda from British Columbia/Yukon and sprinter Dennis Iriowen of Ontario.

Confronting a variety of weather in Calgary, from cold and wet to hot and dry, Stroda turned in a dominating performance in the seven-event heptathlon. As she set out to defend her 2024 title, she swept all four events on the first day of competition and went on to break a 10-year-old record set by fellow-British Columbian Niki Oudenaarden.

Her 5,573 points were almost 1,000 ahead of her closest opponent. The spellbinding effort earned Stroda the LeRoy Washburn Award as the championships’ top female Legion athlete.

Travel Mug—Adventure awaits. Go find it.

Military historian and author David O’Keefe. [@okeefehistorian/x]

Historian David O’Keefe on a suspicious WW II aircrew loss

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

“This is the most intriguing story I’ve ever come across,” remarked historian David O’Keefe about the loss of Lancaster bomber LL862 in July 1944. Coming from the best-selling author of revelatory read One Day in August: The Untold Story Behind Canada’s Tragedy at Dieppe, it could be argued that that’s really saying something.

Rather than one day, however, this latest mystery is shrouded in a single night.

The mostly Canadian eight-man crew of 101 Squadron—a formation specializing in state-of-the-art electronic warfare—had embarked on a bombing mission over Homberg, Germany. That they hadn’t returned wasn’t suspicious in itself. On the contrary, Royal Air Force Bomber Command had long endured appalling losses, both of men and machinery, in its raids over the Reich. What didn’t add up, however, were the precise circumstances in which two flyers survived while others had perished.

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Director Hirota visits Toronto; grad fellowship deadline extended

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A newsletter from one of our fellow Canadian organizations in the Bay Area.

Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Canadian Studies News

• Program director Hirota makes first official trip to Canada

Academic Opportunities

• Deadline extended: ACSUS-Enders Graduate Fellowship in Canada-US Relations

• Financial support – research stays at IRI, Concordia University for faculty & doctoral students

External Events

• Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run

• Kim’s Convenience at ACT San Francisco

PROGRAM NEWS

Program Director Hirota Makes First Official Trip to Canada

Professor Hidetaka Hirota made his first official trip to Canada last week in his capacity as director of the Canadian Studies Program. Professor Hirota travelled to Toronto to participate in a dissertation defense in the History Department at the University of Toronto as an invited external examiner. There, he met Canadian Studies Advisory Board member Kathryn Exon Smith and Hildebrand fellow Allison Evans for dinner. After enjoying good food and conversation, they took a walk through Cabbagetown, the city’s historical neighborhood. During his stay, Professor Hirota also met with two senior scholars in Canadian studies, Professors Franca Iacovetta and Ian Radforth, who both study labor and immigration history. It was an intellectually and socially exciting trip, and our director can’t wait to return!

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Deadline Extended: ACSUS-Enders Graduate Fellowship in Canada-US Relations

Deadline: August 15

The Association of Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) is seeking nominees for the ACSUS-Enders Graduate Fellowship in Canada-US Relations, generously supported by the Thomas O. Enders Endowment.

This fellowship supports advanced scholarship by US graduate students conducting research in Canada on topics that enhance understanding of the Canada-US relationship. It offers a $5,000 grant to fund 4-6 weeks of research at a Canadian university, research site, or business during the 2025-2026 academic year.

The award is only open to US citizens or permanent residents. For more information and to apply, please click here.

Financial Support – Research Stays at IRI, Concordia University for Faculty & Doctoral Students

Deadline: September 12

The Immigration Research Initiative (IRI), based in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University, Montreal, is pleased to share two distinct calls for applications for 2026:

A financial support program for in-person stays at Concordia, open to assistant professors, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty on sabbatical.
A doctoral visiting fellowship, offering support for a three-month stay at Concordia, open to PhD students.

Both programs provide financial support and the opportunity to engage with IRI’s research activities while developing a project related to immigration, ethnocultural diversity, and national identity. For questions or to apply, please email iri@concordia.ca.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run

Sun., Sept. 14 | 9:30 am | Palo Alto, CA | Learn more

Honor the legacy of Terry Fox as you follow in his footsteps to raise money for cancer research! Join the Eh Team – Run for Terry, proudly sponsored by the Government of Canada, the Canadian Consulate in San Francisco, and the Digital Moose Lounge. Join with your fellow Bay Area Canadians running, walking, and biking to continue Terry’s efforts of finding a cure for cancer. Darrell Fox, Terry’s brother, will make an appearance as the guest of honor!

Kim’s Convenience at ACT San Francisco

Sept. 18-Oct. 19 | San Francisco, CA | Learn more

The hilarious and heartwarming, award-winning comedy drama that inspired the popular Netflix hit show is coming to SF! This feel-good play about a Korean family-run corner store is an ode to generations of immigrants who have made Canada the country that it is today. Mr. Kim works hard to support his wife and children with his Toronto convenience store. As he evaluates his future, he faces both a changing neighborhood landscape and the gap between his values and those of his Canada-born children. Playwright Ins Choi, who will also star in the production as the title character, calls Kim’s Convenience his “love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home.”

Kim’s Convenience opens at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) Toni Rembe Theater on September 18. Thanks to our friends at the DML, you can click here or use code DML to save 20% on tickets!

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

Website | LinkedIn | Email | Donate

Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley 213 Philosophy Hall #2308 | Berkeley, CA 94720 US

Canadian Snowbirds at the San Francisco Fleet Week

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This past week we noticed that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds were among the line-up for the San Francisco Fleet Week‘s Air Show on 11-12 October 2025. This was confirmed based on the schedule posted to the Snowbirds website (as noted below in the graphic).