Week: July 28-August 1
Instructor: Ryan Costantini
Time: 12:30-3:00 PM
Grades: 5-9
It is January 1, 1945. Nearly seven months have passed since the Allies landed on Normandy. France has been liberated. Belgium and Holland, partially so. The U.S. Army is pushing back the German Army bulge in the Ardennes Forest. On the Eastern Front, the Red Army is about to start its final push into Germany. In the Pacific, the Philippines are nearly liberated and Allied forces are setting their sights on a small island named Iwo Jima. Meanwhile, in an isolated section of New Mexico, many of the world’s leading scientists are racing to develop a new weapon that may save us from more years or war, or bring about the end of the world.
During this fast-paced, half-day program, campers will play the role of senior-most leaders of the Allies during the final eight months of World War 2. Campers will be confronted with the same issues the Allied leadership faced and, to the extent possible, with the same facts, and be asked to make the decisions those leaders had to make. Events covered will include the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, the death of FDR, the Fall of Berlin, and will culminate with the decision whether to use the atomic bomb against Japan.
In addition to improving their knowledge of this important period of American History, campers will practice their problem solving, leadership, strategic thinking, and negotiation skills. Your mission: end the War and secure a lasting peace!
Costume and map supplies fee: $50