Participants will take on the role of an individual who lives in Anytown, USA. Anytown is a community that represents all towns across the United States in that EVERYONE contributed to the Allied effort to win WWII. The Home Front Experience blends history with science, math, reading, financial literacy, and more. It is a content-integrated approach that embeds TEKS from numerous subject areas.

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Details

Who is this appropriate for?

The Home Front Experience is appropriate for grades 4 through adult.

This is also a highly engaging teacher professional development or corporate team-building program that emphasizes content integration, collaboration, communication, team building, and fun!

Home Front Experience is ideal for all student types, including struggling learners, Gifted & Talented, PreAP, AP, Montessori, International Baccalaureate, Single-Gender campus, STEM/STEAM, P-Tech, and Early College.

How many participants can do the experience?

The Home Front Experience can accommodate between 22 - 33 participants.  A minimum of 22 is required.

Are there materials that we can take after the experience to continue learning afterward?

Yes!  Each class will receive their outgoing, censored mail, 25 print copies of the Week 5 newspaper, and a digital version emailed after the visit.  These resources offer endless opportunities for classroom extensions for the rest of the school year.

What is the debrief?

Schools or teams may choose the focus, standards, or concepts that need to be solidified for a custom-tailored debriefing of the experience at the conclusion of the experience. They can be anything from a standard such as “properties of metal” and “persuasive language" to leadership, problem solving, and communication and much more

Tell me more about the experience

Each participant is assigned a character and family. During a 20-minute “week,” participants will role-play working through the challenges of daily life, seeing to food, shelter, education, and employment while also supporting the fight for freedom.

“Weekend” designated time allows for family regrouping, a radio broadcast “Fireside Chat” or a Theater newsreel. The family can also peruse the “weekly” newspaper. Each of these media will inform the participants of information vital to the events that will take place in the subsequent weeks. The experience includes 4 weeks (20 minutes each), and 3 weekends (5 min), with the 4th weekend being a customized debriefing to solidify concepts mastered.

All the characters in the Home Front Experience are real or based on real historical figures. Letters mailed and received during the experience are historically accurate with historical figures represented. For example, the town movie theater operator, William Thompkins, served in the Spanish-American War as a Buffalo Soldier and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Characters, both seen and unseen, have a plethora of primary documents or further information about their lives and service for follow-up learning. This is an experience that can easily be used to activate prior learning throughout the entire school year.

Families have a budget, receive incomes and some can supplement their earnings. Financial literacy is an embedded piece of this experience.

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Pricing and Scholarships

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Pricing

The cost per group of 22-33 participants, plus up to 3 adults, is $500.  This includes a self-guided tour of the museum and aircraft hangar.

Scholarships

Through generous funding provided by the Moody Foundation, the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center (NAEC) is excited to award scholarships to a limited number of Title 1 schools in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

Apply Here!

Transportation Stipend

Through generous funding provided by the Moody Foundation, the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center (NAEC) is able to offer transportation stipends to offset the cost of transportation.  Limited stipends are available.

Apply Here!

Schedule

Available during school hours, evenings and weekends! 

Location

Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center

5657 Mariner Drive

Dallas, TX 75237

 

DISD awarded vendor (listed as Commemorative Air Force)

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Continuing Professional Education Information

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cancellation and rescheduling policy?

Rescheduling or cancellations must be received in writing at least two weeks prior to the event by contacting us at education@cafhq.org. 

Deposits are non-refundable.  

We follow Dallas ISD for school cancelations, and in the case of bad weather, rescheduling is free.

What age is this appropriate for?

The Home Front Experience is appropriate with ages beginning in the fourth grade up into adult. The experience is aligned cross curriculuar in grades 4-12.

What time does this experience begin?

We can run two experiences per day. The start time is flexible, but the end time is 2.5 hours later.

Can we bring more than one class?

Yes, we can make a full day field trip - one class touring the museum and hangar while the other class participates in the Home Front Experience. We then flip flop the groups for the afternoon session.

Can we turn this into a full-day visit?

The Home Front experience takes two and a half hours to complete, and along with the experience, a museum tour and scavenger hunt will precede or follow. Please see the flyer on this page to plan your full-day experience.

What if we have less than 22 students?

We need a minimum of 22 participants to run the experience. Teachers, aids, and other adults (parents) may participate to bring numbers to 22 or more.

Can the Home Front Experience be customized?

Yes! The 30 minute debrief focuses on the concepts you need solidified. These can be anything from social-emotional to course specific SEs. Math, science, social studies, ELAR, health, economics, financial literacy, and much more. Team building, critical thinking, communication & collaboration, productive struggle, ethics, and personal responsibility are all embedded in this experience.

Is the focus of the Home Front Experience and the museum on aviation?

While we have numerous artifacts dealing with WWII and aviation, our focus is on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning and the personal characteristics for success.

What will the teachers and assistants be doing during the experience?

Teachers and assistants will actively monitor and provide assistance to students throughout the experience. This may include tasks such as math computation needed for some jobs, reading assistance, etc. Depending on the number of teachers your school will be bringing, some may join as participants if room allows.

Can we bring backpacks?

There is limited space, so we recommend that backpacks and personal items be left on the bus or at the campus.

What should my students wear?

All participants need to be dressed ready to move around the room and be comfortable. The Home Front Experience is in a climate-controlled classroom. However, as individual preference for comfort varies, we suggest dressing in layers. Comfortable walking shoes are required.

If we add the museum to our day, will someone meet us to guide us through the museum and hangar?

The museum is self-guided and includes 2 films (Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots) of 15 minutes each. A digital scavenger hunt and informational app can be downloaded to enrich the experience.

What does payment include?

The Home Front Experience is 2.5 hours long, with the last 30 minutes being a customized debriefing. Teachers and students will leave with letters produced during the experience, their Victory Ledger, aircraft produced in the factory, and a Week 5 newspaper filled with additional resources and room for extensions used for inside the classroom

What if I have a scholarship?

If you are receiving Moody Foundation funding, your voucher, approval code, and amount approved must be included when you make your reservation.  Your Moody Foundation voucher is NOT a field trip reservation. Reservations must be made at least 3 weeks in advance.

Special Needs/Accommodations

Please let the Education Department know if you are bringing children with special needs. The Home Front can accommodate up to two wheelchairs and escorts per session. Students with hearing or sensory needs can be minimally accommodated. The Home Front Experience is an active setting and can be very loud. We have a few characters that can be assigned to below grade level students in Math and ELAR.

Can I receive PD credit?

As a Texas Education Agency (TEA) accredited Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider, this experience is offered as CPE in either half-day or full-day sessions.

How long is this experience? Can this experience be shortened?

No. The experience takes a full 2.5 hours.

Can we eat lunch on site?

There are no places onsite to purchase food or drinks. However, advanced arrangements can be made to provide seating when bringing your own sack lunches

Do you have bus parking?

Yes, we have several areas to accommodate buses.