The weeklong program, led by Gifted and Talented teacher and camp director Cindy Tarello, took young historians on a series of hands-on experiences designed to connect local history with the larger story of the United States. Campers began at the Dr. William Robinson Plantation, where a tour with museum director Scott McCabe explored the site’s place in the community’s past.
The group also traveled to Allaire Village, an 1836 historic village where costumed interpreters guided students through the chapel and schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, carpentry shop, manager’s house and general store. Games on the Green gave campers a chance to try activities associated with childhood in the early 19th century.
At Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, students learned about life in a Continental Army encampment and the 1776 crossing of the Delaware River. After crossing the river themselves, they continued to Princeton Battlefield State Park, where they considered the Revolutionary War battle from the perspectives of people who experienced it.
History and agriculture met in an interactive program from Quiver Farms. Students learned how animals are cared for and how wool moves from harvesting and cleaning through carding and spinning on a working wheel.
The camp concluded with a long day in Philadelphia, including visits to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Museum of the American Revolution and The Franklin Institute. The itinerary also left room for a distinctly modern Philadelphia stop: the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rocky Balboa statue.
Tarello said the camp was designed to give students experiences that would remain with them after the summer ended. The result was a program that paired historical places and artifacts with curiosity, conversation and direct experience.
