Centennial Events

Date: January 1, 2016

War in the Pacific National Historical Park Centennial Events

2016 –Throughout the Year/Monthly Events

Keep Guam Beautiful Service Learning –This monthly volunteer based and service learning project which engages local citizens in helping keep the various park units clean through park organized trash pickup/beautification projects.

Find Your Park Interpretive Messaging –Centennial messaging will be incorporated into various pre-scheduled park ranger-led programs.This messaging can range from formal interpretive talks to informal roving at the various park units.

Then and Now Historical Images (June, July, and August 2016) The creation of "then and now" photographs, displaying the Find Your Park logo, will show historical World War II photos morphing to a modern day perspective.These pictures will highlight the peaceful setting of War in the Pacific National Historical Park transposed with the ferocity of the Battle of Guam.

January 2016

"Guam Fourth Grader's Find Their Park!" Program (January through March) Inspiring youths to become future stewards by helping them get to the park;learn about park resources, history, and careers through various engaging, fun activities and programs. Funds provided by, National Park Foundation Every Kid in Park Transportation Grant Program and our non-profit partners Pacific Historic Parks.

February 2016

Art in the Park –This multi-month program will encourage all visitors to War in the Pacific National Historical Park to illustrate their meaning of the park on pre-made wooden tiles using provided art supplies.Local installation artist Vic Perez will compile all the tiles into a single art installation to be showcased at the Asan Beach Park.

Guam Teacher Workshop Spring Seminar (Open to Educators K-12) –Parks as Classrooms &Teaching with Historic Places (February 18 &19) Pacific Historic Parks Education Team and park staff engage Guam educators in finding their park on Guam.Helping to create rich placed based, service learning, educational experiences that inspire youths to preserve our cultural heritage, care for our environment and our national treasures.

March 2016

Art in the Park: Make A Mark in Your Park! (February 27 and March 5) Continuing the Art in the Park tiles creation, these events will be conducted in the busiest of the park's unit, Asan Beach.

Art in the Park Installation (March 12-13) Installation artist, Vic Perez, will debut the installation piece for the Art in the Park project at Asan Beach.

Junior Ranger Academy (March 21-25) Youths (7^th-8^th graders) are invited to sign up and experience the park on Guam through hands-on activities;snorkeling and hiking as they learn about the battles fought on Guam. Chamorro cultural traditions, caring for WWII artifacts, the stories they tell, and ways they can take personal responsibility to help care for these special places will be explored.

April 2016

River Rangers (April 2, 9, &30) Youths (3^rd-4^th-grade students) are invited to sign up for the River Ranger program where park biologists and Pacific Historic Park educators help them explore and learn about the Masso River's rich ecosystem. The value of rivers, how threats change the landscape, and how they can help protect these valuable natural resources.

National Park Week &Ticket to Ride Art Display (April 16- 23) The public is invited to view the "Jose Rios Middle School Voyagers Experience Their National Park" artwork at the Agana Shopping Center. Students provide their personal perspectives on what their national park on Guam means.

May 2016

Find Your Park Photo Contest (May 1 to July 15) This social media campaign will encourage the public to submit a photo illustrating their meaning of War in the Pacific National Historical Park.The winner will have their photo run as the banner image on the park's website during the month of August 2016.Runners-up will have their photos displayed at the park's Visitor Center.

Reef Health Monitoring (May 14)Pacific Historic Park along with park staff will engage high school students in learning about Guam's rich coral reefs, the effects of coral bleaching of healthy coral colonies related to elevated seawater temperatures

Festival of the Pacific Arts –(May 22 –June 4) Guam will host nearly 2500 invited delegates (15-35 years old) from 26 island nations to bring together artists, storytellers, and cultural practitioners. The park will invite participating representatives to experience their national park on Guam, to learn about Pacific Islander war experiences through visitor center interactive exhibits and by sharing their personal war experiences through storytelling venues.

Signature Memorial Flag Display (May 27-31) In observance of Memorial Day the public is invited to join the park for the annual commemorative flag display at Asan Beach.The flag display honors the 1,880 U.S. Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen and coast guardsmen who died during the 1941 Japanese invasion and the 1944 battle to liberate the island.The flag display includes honoring the 1,170 people of Guam, who died during the war.

June 2016

The Pivotal Month of June 1944 (June 25) Join us for a presentation on the most decisive month of the War in the Pacific and WWII in general. Crucial events, such as American invasion of the Marianas, the Battle of Philippine Sea, the Normandy invasion, the first bombing raids on Japan's mainland by B-29 bombers, hastened the end of WWII. (1 hour)

July 2016

Preservation Ranger Academy (July 11-15)This summer camp experience provides high school students (9^th-10^th grade) comprehensive training.This academy will cover park operations and careers, leadership and mentorship, first aid and water safety, hands-on learning experiences in sea life identification, and much more.After successfully completing the program they become youth mentors for the reef rangers.

Pacific Heritage Youth Summit (July 12-15) Eighty youth delegates from throughout the Pacific Islands will meet on Guam through shared experiences that will Teach, Prepare, and Inspire our youth to become stewards of preservation, conservation and heritage tourism through our Pacific Communities for generations to come.

Centennial "Happy Birthday" Video (July 15) The people of Guam express "Happy Birthday" wishes to the National Park Service.This short video will showcase the park's unique sites, inspiring scenery, and the warmth of the people of Guam.

Reef Ranger Summer Camp (July 18-29) This dynamic summer youth program introduces a fun, safe, and exciting way to explore the island's coasts and learn about marine science with of park biologist. Reef Rangers (5^th-6^th graders) engage in snorkeling and hiking and an exciting array of hands-on activities geared towards understanding the benefits of our coral reefs.

72th Liberation of Guam (July 21) This annual event brings thousands of island residents together to remember and honor the U.S. Veterans who liberated Guam from Japanese occupation on July 21, 1944, along with our Chamorro war survivors who endured war on their homelands.

August 2016

Apaca Point In-Water Guided Hike (August 6) Join park rangers for this one-of-a-kind in-water guided hike of Apaca Point.This hike, through waist deep water, will explore the July 21, 1944, invasion of Guam from the Marines' perspective.Look and learn the challenges U.S. soldiers faced as there were coming ashore during the invasion. (2 hours)

A Day at the Museum (August 17, 20, and 27) This public event at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, highlights the lives of people who played a pivotal role in the Pacific Theater of World War II.We will also have presentations about the WWII War Dogs, the displayed Japanese Type C Submarine, and the explosive ordinances that still impact our lives.There will be an exclusive tour of our "vault" of artifacts.

War in the Pacific National Historical Park 38^th Anniversary (August 18) In celebration of the park's 38th birthday, the park will create daily social media posts for the 38 days leading up to the anniversary.These "38 things about War in the Pacific" will highlight different aspects of the park.

National Park Service Birthday Celebration (August 25) The 100^th birthday of the National Park Service will see multiple events occurring in the various park units.This day will include special informal interpretive programs at Asan Beach Park, a birthday cake celebration at the park's administrative offices to honor NPS employees, and the day capped off by a special "Night at the Museum" where park rangers and guest speakers will present a history of the National Park Service.

September 2016

Reef Health Monitoring (September 10)Through a funded NOAA Marine Education Grant Park partners Pacific Historic Park along with park staff will engage high school students in learning about Guam's rich coral reefs, the effects of coral bleaching of healthy coral colonies related to elevated seawater temperatures.

National Public Lands Day (September 24)Guam Girl Scouts join the park for the 16^th year of service helping to preserve our national parks on Guam.

International Coastal Clean-up Day (September 24)Park staff will join the government of Guam and hundreds of citizens to help clean the beach areas from Adelup to Asan, and along the shores of Agat.