“My favorite part was seeing all the different memorials representing so many major events in our history.”
That’s how Luverne High School student Brooklynn Ver Steeg summarized her recent trip to Washington, D.C., July 5 – 9.
“Being able to stand in front of these structures and listen to our guide helped me retain more information than just reading from a history book,” she added.
Ver Steeg, an incoming sophomore, was one of 51 Luverne incoming freshmen and sophomores to travel to the nation’s capital. Twelve parents and four teachers also traveled with the group.
The trip was organized by World Classrooms, an educational travel company based in Aberdeen, South Dakota, that specializes in school trips to Washington.
The company arranged all tours, transportation, meals and accommodations for the 67 Luverne travelers.
The group spent five days visiting nearly 30 different sites including the U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress, the White House, Supreme Court, Mount Vernon and Ford’s Theater.
Smithsonian museums on their itinerary included Natural History, American History, Air and Space, American Indian and the National Portrait Gallery.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was a highlight for many in the group.
“The Holocaust Memorial Museum was so powerful that I was overwhelmed with emotion,” said Hunter Ahrendt, an incoming sophomore.
“I could have spent all day there walking through the exhibits. It’s a sad and horrible part of history,” he added.
Students also experienced nearly all of the monuments and memorials along the National Mall including Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Franklin D. Roosevelt along with the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War memorials.
“I really enjoyed seeing the size of the buildings and learning about the memorials,” said Casey Sehr, another incoming sophomore.
Sehr said he enjoyed the balance between learning and fun that comes with student trips.
“I went on the Washington, D.C., trip because I wanted to see the things we learned about in our history classes through the years,” he said.
“I’ll remember the cool balance between learning and having fun with friends.”
April Wallace teaches social studies at Luverne Middle School and helps organize and chaperone the D.C. trips.
She said she believes there are many benefits to the annual trip.
“On top of making classroom material more real, this trip helps expose students to a love of travel that will hopefully stick with them for the rest of their lives,” she said.
“Students come home with new perspectives, increased curiosity about the world and a sense of personal growth,” Wallace said.
Ahrendt agreed with his former teacher. “Learning from textbooks does not compare to what I experienced and learned while in D.C.,” he said.