Pacific Historic Parks

Php's resources, staff, and financial assistance are spent on educational programs at pearl harbor national memorial (oahu), war in the pacific national historical park (guam), american memorial park (saipan), kalaupapa national historical park (molokai), and diamond head state monument (oahu).php accomplishes its mission through hosting education and interpretive programs that support historical sites in the pacific for future generations. We perpetuate the history and memory of events and people who lived through and died during world war ii (wwii) in the pacific by offering guided tours, place-based learning programs, outreach presentations, workshops, and conferences.php is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of world war ii through education, commemoration, and community engagement. Each year, php collaborates with local, national, and international partners to host meaningful programs, develop innovative educational resources, and honor the legacy of those who lived through this pivotal period. Through events, grants, and partnerships, php continues to inspire future generations with stories of resilience, sacrifice, and peace."living the legacy of pearl harbor" program provides the opportunity for local, mainland and international students in pre-k to higher education, educators, individuals, and organizations of any discipline, the opportunity to visit pearl harbor national memorial and interact with an education coordinator through worldwide long-distance learning and video conferencing via zoom. A virtual field trip at the park will involve interaction with students, educators, and volunteers and/or a civilian eyewitness of the pearl harbor attack. Php also provides the 'wishes & dreams' program which fulfills the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, in partnership with make-a-wish hawaii and similar organizations. This fiscal year, php welcomed 528 make-a-wish guests, including the first visit from the sunshine kids since 2019. Sunshine kids is a smaller organization with the same mission as make-a-wish. Customized tours at the pearl harbor national memorial are tailored to each child's age, interests, and connections to wwii history. Grant funding is essential to advancing php's mission of education and preservation. This fiscal year, php was awarded four grants supporting a range of impactful programs. The $30k open outdoors for kids ("ook") grant enabled title i 4th graders to visit the park, fostering early engagement with history. A $25k people in parks foundation grant supported the creation of an online tapestry, 'uss utah: the forgotten battleship,' featuring 3d scans, survivor oral histories, and historian interviews. In january 2024 php was awarded the alexander 'sandy' gaston grant in the amount of $74,353. The "gaston fund" supports educational opportunities for hawai'i youth by providing access to museum tours to the four pearl harbor historic sites. Thanks to this grant, php facilitated educational visits for 60 hawai'i-based schools, engaging nearly 4,000 students in learning about pearl harbor's history. The grant specifically covers costs for transportation, admission fees, and lunches to ensure that neither students, parents, nor schools bear any financial burden to visiting this historic landmark. In april 2024, php received a $341k department of education earmark grant for 'honouliuli revealed,' a digital learning platform exploring japanese american experiences in wwii hawai'i. This platform will include an interactive map, ai features, and three educational video shorts with curriculum guides. These grants ensure php continues to provide innovative and accessible educational opportunities for diverse audiences.each year, php delivers mission-driven educational programs and events at the pearl harbor national memorial. In fy2023, highlights included the youth forum (feb 22), rosie the riveter day (mar 21), mis purple heart ceremony (may 10), and the hiroshima student exchange (aug 17-21). These programs brought national and international youth to the park, fostering connections to world war ii history. Events focused on themes of education, commemoration, and cultural exchange. Through these efforts, php continues to inspire future generations with the lessons of the past."preserving personal stories and experiences of world war ii remains a core focus for php. Acquiring primary source materials and curatorial items ensures these histories are safeguarded for future generations. With the number of pearl harbor survivors and wwii veterans declining, recording oral histories is critical to capturing their voices. Php's history talk program further enhances this mission by delivering live, interactive virtual education and interpretive webinars to global audiences.php collaborates with local and national organizations to engage youth through educational programs. Highlights include a global presentation with edutainment, reaching over 700 students in 13 countries with lessons on pearl harbor, and a partnership with olelo news media for hawai'i-based student video projects on the theme of 'peace.' php re-established the peace crane folding activity at the pearl harbor visitor center, engaging up to 400 guests per activity. This program has expanded via the circulation cranes to schools on oahu and abroad through the sadako crane exchange. Other initiatives include kids to parks day with dlnr, featuring wwii-themed activities at diamond head state park, and a collaboration with uh manoa to create a vr program and essay contest for rotc students.php supports the annual commemoration of the december 7, 1941, attack on pearl harbor through ceremonies, lectures, and gatherings that honor survivors and wwii veterans. The december 2023 event, marking the 82nd anniversary, was held in person and attended by over 2,500 people. Php contributed to new elements of the ceremony, including securing participation from three jrotc student cadet battalions. Additionally, php co-led the blackened canteen ceremony, attended by approximately 150 individuals, including foreign government officials, active-duty military personnel, and representatives of three faiths who offered prayers and shared reflections. Hawai'i community leaders promoting cooperation with japan also took part in this meaningful event.at pearl harbor national memorial, with an average annual attendance of nearly 1.4 million visitors, we help maintain a high standard of visitor services by supplying necessary materials.php's mission in guam is to provide meaningful education and interpretive programs for the residents and visitors on the island of guam. Our programs commemorate the bravery, courage, and sacrifice of those participating in the campaigns on the pacific theater of world war ii.php completed education programs funded by a $130,000 grant to enhance the digital learning experience for guam students. Education programs hosted by php took place in the form of virtual technology, digital media, place-based learning experiences, books, and conferences.php launched a guam virtual reality program that brought to life world war ii on guam and its impact on the chamoru people. The php guam team successfully conducted a series of public presentations that began in october 2023 and reached a total of 5,002 individuals. The program incorporated storytelling and an immersive experience to a broader audience by featuring oral histories of the chamoru people. Through virtual reality, youth were able to feel connected to the past and gain a deeper understanding of other people's experiences and perspectives during world war ii. The virtual reality showcased five pivotal events in guam's world war ii history: the japanese surprise air attack of guam from an aerial point of view in december 1941; the invasion of guam on december 8, 1941 at the plaza de espa; the occupation experience as seen through the eyes of the people in the village of malesso' geus valley rice fields; the chamoru resistance at atte in july 1944; and the battle for guam between the americans and japanese miliitary forces. Pacific historic parks also created an interactive, outreach curriculum program for high school history classes in both public and private schools. Printed copies of a supplementary teaching guide tied to guam's content standards, titled "focusing on primary sources: voices of world war ii" was distributed to 200 teachers. The lesson unit had a special focus on primary source analysis and oral history excerpts. In addition, a reflection booklet titled, "my reflection on world war ii in guam: student virtual reality booklet" was distributed to 2,980 students. Php also designed an online learning experience for students and teachers who did not have access to the vr experience. The website consisted of selected audio and images also found on the vr experience.