8th Grade DC Trip

by Brandford (Highlander)

Working with the students at Highlander has opened my eyes to a lot. One of the most recent eye opening experiences was being a Chaperon on the 8th Grade Field Trip to Washington, DC. Having the opportunity to connect with students outside of the traditional education setting and that wasn’t comprised of their daily living environment was exhilarating.

As we embarked on a tour of the capitol, students had a high knowledge of the history that was represented in Washington. The tour guide would ask numerous questions and one after another Highlander students would answer. The tour suddenly seemed like a personal tour for Highlander students with the amount of interaction and direct conversation that was going on from the tour guide. Students had an opportunity to expand on their in-class knowledge while visiting the Lincoln and Washington Monuments. From citing Lincoln's first and second speech to understanding the strategic development plans Washington created and realizing the complexity of their contributions to the country.

Students were immersed into the historical atmosphere and really became engulfed in the culture of Washington, DC. One of the memorable times I had was towards the end of the trip when Mrs. Nellie (Charter Corps Member) and I facilitated the reflection workshop. We were able to culminate the experience of the trip with the overall experience of the 8th grade school year into one setting and had students digging deep and reflecting on their past and future. One of the most important ways of learning is expanded/experiential learning which the students most certainly experienced. Thank you DC for a time well spent!