2421 Kiesel Ave. Full of fresh ideas and energy, Cutler, 49, of Marriott-Slaterville, plans to launch her own Vietnam history project. She also wants to offer workshops to teachers and principals throughout the Ogden District. "This is great. Social studies is often just about ancient history and lacks relevance to today. The Vietnam War is very relevant today," said Ogden District Curriculum Director Reed Spencer. District officials encourage educators to share what they learn at national conferences, he said. Some of Cutler's ideas include having each student choose a Vietnam veteran from Ogden. Starting with the name, students will learn how to research the history of the person, perform interviews, and obtain photos to create a biography. Cutler would like to see the biographies placed on the Virtual Wall, www.virtualwall.org, an Internet site that lists the names of veterans but also offers links to their biographies, shows photos and displays messages from family and friends. In addition, Cutler wants to create a Veteran's memorial quilt, made from quilt blocks that each display an Ogden veteran's photo, with the student researcher's name stitched on the back. The quilt could be displayed at Weber State University's history department, she said. Cutler said teaching today's teens can be a challenge. Students were born long after 1975, when American troops pulled out of Vietnam. They as-sociate tie-dye and "Forrest Gump" with the Vietnam War, but often lack deeper historical knowledge. Cutler hopes her enthusiasm will be infectious for students. "You end up 'meeting' the person you research, even if they aren't alive," she said. The travelling Vietnam Memorial Wall When: Open 24 hours, through 6 p.m. Sunday Where: Wasatch Lawns Memorial Park, 13001 S. 3600 West, Riverton Why: To honor and remember Americans who died in the Vietnam War Number of Utahns on the wall: 368 Cheryl Rankin, principal of Project Surpass, said she is all for creative ideas to help educators teach history "It's a good way for the students to understand Vietnam better and the sacrifices that many people made for our country," Rankin said. Tori Allen, who teaches English, history and journalism at Mill Creek Youth Center, 790 W. 12th St., said she can't wait to hear Cutler's ideas and begin implementing them in her own classroom. "Vietnam wasn't so long ago, and we can learn from the past - remember it instead of forgetting it," Allen said. The second annual Teach Vietnam Teacher's Network Conference Cutler attended was offered to two Utah rep-resentatives out of 84 participants nationwide. The other Utahn was from West Valley City. Cutler said she is interested in Vietnam since she lived during that era, and she also took some classes on Vietnam while earning her teacher's license at Weber State. "It's important we don't forget about the Vietnam War," she said, adding most World War II veterans have died, many Korean War vets are dying, and Vietnam vets are aging. "We can't forget them. We need to honor them by remembering them," she said. "That's what the Vietnam Memorial is all about." Reporter Amy K. Stewart can be reached at 625-4229 or astewart@standard.net.