A retired teacher is teaming with community members to put on a Patriot Camp in Star Valley for children grades 1-6 to teach about the founding of America at the Etna Community Center June 20-24.

Sally Bailey is the former educator and she says a friend of hers presented the curriculum for the event and she believed it needed to be done in the local community.

“It’s an all encompassing event,” Bailey said. “Everything that happens, the little learning sessions, the crafts, the physical activities… is all from the Revolutionary Period.”

She even says on the last day the children will get an opportunity to meet Founding Fathers characters. She also says everything taught will show the students what made the country possible. This will also include The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, what a Republic is, etc.

“The kids will kind of get an immersive look at everything that happened to create this country,” Bailey said. “And how, basically, it really shouldn’t have happened the way it did, but it did.”

Bailey also recruited her neighbor, Tracey Martini, to the project to help with fundraising efforts and such. Martini says those teaching will be teachers from Star Valley who will take on the lesson plans.

“Each day will have a different focus,” Martini said. “We’ll start with a flag ceremony and give the kids an understanding of why we raise the flag, why is it half staff, also the respect you would have for the flag.”

They will then break the kids out into age appropriate groups then they will rotate between the lesson, activity, craft, that “will all be period specific”. Bailey says this is a full hands-on experience and fun activities.

“There’s one example I kind of chuckle at is we have a swimming pool full of ice,” Bailey said. “And the kids have to walk through it and what they’re doing is their experiencing what our soldiers experienced during the Valley Forge and crossing the Delaware (River).”

She says there were packets given out about registration to students at each of the elementary schools in Lincoln County School District #2. You can also email them at svpatriotcamp@gmail.com and you can go to their website for registration information here. You can also find them on Facebook as well called Star Valley Patriot Camp.

Bailey says there is a $60 fee, but if you cannot pay that they have scholarships available to help you get your child to the event. You can contact them for more details.