Area students traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to learn first-hand about American history. The students, who had completed eighth and ninth grades, were accompanied by social studies teachers Lisa McDaniel and Heather Yates, and three chaperones.
"We want to share our love of history with the students, and instill a passion and love for our great country," stated Yates when asked why the trip was organized. "We were fortunate to meet with Honor Flight veterans from our community while visiting the Air Force Memorial in Arlington. What made it remarkable was that the meeting wasn't planned; it happened randomly. Talk about a small world!"
McDaniel organized the four-day, three-night trip for the students utilizing student travel program WorldStrides. Students toured many popular DC sights, including the Capitol building, the Lincoln, WWII and Vietnam War memorials, and visited several Smithsonian museums. In addition, they visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and witnessed the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, and ended their trip with a visit to George Washington's home, Mount Vernon. McDaniel and Yates documented the group's experiences on Twitter using the hashtag #Hornets2DC.
Though the trip is not sponsored by nor affiliated with Fulton Public Schools, McDaniel and Yates want the educational travel experience to be something every Fulton student can anticipate, plan for, and look forward to. They are already planning a DC trip for 2017, which will include visits to Colonial Williamsburg and historic Jamestown, VA. The group is also honored to have been selected for a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Twenty students have already registered.
"These trips aren't inexpensive. If kids know two or three years in advance that they could visit D.C. or Boston as part of their secondary school experience, they can start saving early. In addition, we want to find ways to help the kids fund raise for their travel," said McDaniel.
Added Yates, "We don't want any student to feel left out of an experience due to financial constraints."
The 2017 trip is open to Fulton students entering seventh, eighth or ninth grades. For more information, contact Lisa McDaniel [email protected] or Heather Yates [email protected].