Lutz Cemetery: Children & Youth Legacy Project
Lutz Cemetery is proud to partner with American Legion Post 108 in the roll out of the Florida Legacy Project to connect Children & Youth to history and community.
The Florida Legacy Project is an ongoing youth-driven historical research initiative centered at Lutz Cemetery. Students select an individual buried in the cemetery and conduct in-depth historical research to document that person’s life, legacy, and contribution to the community.
Through archival research, interviews, and artifact collection, students transform forgotten names into living stories. These stories are preserved digitally and made accessible to the public through QR-enabled memorials.
Mission: To preserve Florida history by empowering youth to research, document, and share life stories of those laid to rest at Lutz Cemetery using technology and historical best practices.
Goals: To preserve local and state history: engage youth in hands-on historical research: honor individuals and families through storytelling and merge historic preservation with digital innovation.
Each student or student team will:
* Select a person interred at Lutz Cemetery
* Conduct historical and genealogical research
* Gather and digitize materials, including:
* Photographs
* Letters & Documents
* Military Records
* Newspaper Articles
* Family Trees
* Oral Histories & Interviews
* Personal Memorabilia (when available)
* Write a biographical narrative suitable for public viewing.
Our student historians will collect information that will be digitized and added to an exclusive memorial page accessible by scanning the stainless steel QR code that will be affixed to the person’s headstone or niche.
Impact for Students
Real-world research experience
Civic pride and historical awareness
Writing, technology, and critical thinking skills
Service learning and volunteer hours
Impact for Families
Preservation of family history
Public recognition of loved ones
A permanent digital legacy
Impact for Community
Living cemetery experience
Heritage tourism potential
Intergenerational storytelling
Preservation of local Florida history