ELIZABETH, NJ — As the semiquincentennial year begins, local senior Mumtaz Cooper from the Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy is learning the ropes of land preservation, advocacy and more as part of the American Battlefield Trust’s 2025-2026 Youth Leadership Team. Joining nine other high schoolers from across the nation, Cooper has dedicated the academic year to advocating for historic preservation, education and increasing heritage site visitation in her community.
As the nation’s leading battlefield preservation organization, the American Battlefield has protected more than 60,000 acres of Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War battlefields. Concurrently, its education programs have delivered resources to thousands of classrooms and facilitated visits to historic sites for more than 50,000 students through the History Field Trip Grant Program.
“The trust takes great pride in supporting these emerging leaders as they help champion the cause of history and preservation in their communities and across the nation,” said Trust President David Duncan. “The Youth Leadership Team helps empower the next generation to actively participate in historic preservation efforts.”
Chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, participants will embark on a comprehensive training aligned with the organization’s core mission. The training covers a broad spectrum, from the intricacies of land preservation to the principles of place-based education, as well as essential advocacy skills such as engaging with media and petitioning support from public officials. Trust staff will guide and mentor each participant as they develop an individualized capstone project.
Cooper’s capstone project will focus on how “battlefields and historic sites can be transformed into living classrooms” that preserve the past while also empowering “young people, immigrants and communities of color to see themselves as part of America’s unfinished story.”
“I was drawn to working with the trust because preserving history isn’t just about protecting places, it’s about protecting the stories and voices that built this country,” she said. “The trust’s mission to safeguard battlefields and make them spaces of learning aligns with my own passion for ensuring that future generations can engage with history not as something distant, but as something alive and connected to the struggles we face today.”
The full roster of the 2025–2026 Youth Leadership Team is: David Buck, 16, of Kinston, N.C.; Mumtaz Cooper, 17, of Elizabeth; Manton Du, 17, of Weymouth, Mass.; Olivia Grote, 17, of Bismark, N.D.; Corinne Kalogonis, 16, of Moreno Valley, Calif.; Emmaline Leandro, 15, of Gilford, N.H.; William Moffet, 15, of Ponte Vedra, Fla.; Emmanuel Pudussery, 17, of Riverside, Calif.; Siddharth Tripathi, 17, of San Antonio, Texas; and Meryl Wittmer, 15, of Oakwood, Ohio.
