Dickinson State University (DSU) assistant professor of education Sarah Crossingham wrote a North Dakota Cyber-Savvy Futures Grant to fund the innovative STEM World Peace Game Camp being held this week on the DSU campus. She received $10,000 to support the camp, which engages students in 21st-century learning skills and provides hands-on STEM experiences. The unique camp simulates the global political environment, helping students understand interconnectedness and decision-making as members of an assigned fictional country. The countries range from extremely poor to wealthy, but according to Crossingham, all face significant challenges.
Students assume various roles including Prime Ministers, a weather titan, and an arms dealer. The weather titan, the most powerful voice in the game, has veto power over all decisions made by the 20 elementary-age participants. The arms dealer introduces the ethical challenges of military spending versus peaceful resolutions. The Prime Ministers make declarations each day in order to solve crises. Throughout the game, all decisions must answer three key questions in the affirmative: Can you afford it? What are the consequences? Does it make sense?
The STEM portion of the camp was held from Monday through Tuesday morning. On Tuesday afternoon, Crossingham began the World Peace Game portion of the week with a formal apology that is given at every STEM World Peace Game Camp, setting the tone for the week: “We are leaving you a world with many problems. For that, we apologize. However, as the generation that will inherit the planet, it is up to you to navigate these challenges and find solutions.”
The STEM World Peace Game Camp places students in dynamic situations where they tackle more than 50 interconnected global issues, from economic crises to environmental disasters. Participants work in teams to develop solutions, while facilitators encourage resilience and innovation by allowing initial failures. Reflective thinking is emphasized, with students maintaining logs and engaging in self-assessments to enhance communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. The long-term goal is to promote skills in a new generation that are transferable to the real world.
To ensure inclusivity and accessibility, there is no fee to attend. A STEM World Peace Game Camp will be held this fall in South Heart. If you are interested in learning more about the camp or wish to participate, contact sarah.crossingham@dickinsonstate.edu.
Dickinson State University’s Heritage Foundation helped out by providing two snacks per day to the campers.
For information regarding the School of Education and other programs, please visit dickinsonstate.edu/SOE.