My 12th grade Gifted and Talented students rank as some of the smartest and most curious students I have taught. Considering they live in a low-income, rural area with little opportunities, they are a source of pride. Our school averages 130 students in 6th-12th grade, which means we don’t have many teachers and fewer electives. This is a small farming community that supports our school. Nevertheless, it is low-income and about 60% of our students qualify for free and reduced meals at school. We also serve a large American Indian population with about 60% of our students belonging to federally recognized tribes.
My students want to experience places that are new and exciting.
They often ask me to plan a field trip for them. However, the nearest art museum is an hour away. The closest science museum is three hours away. The closest four year university is almost an hour away. These students are in an academically isolated area. I want to give them as many experiences as I can before they graduate. That is why our school sends our Gifted and Talented senior students to Washington, D.C. in the spring before they graduate.
My Project
During our Branching Out in Washington, DC trip, my students have many exciting activities planned. We are touring the national monuments, touring the nation’s capitol building, meeting with the Victims of Communism Foundation, visiting the National Holocaust Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon and other sites. This trip will make a difference in their lives because many of them have never traveled outside of our state.
So for these students, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Several of the places we will visit are related to our class learning units. For example, the Victims of Communism Foundation relates to what we have studied in history, civics, and literature classes. Visiting Arlington National Cemetery is the one part of the trip I imagine will touch the students the most. They think they know what it is like, but they will realize this experience is much more emotionally charged in person.
Reaching Arlington Cemetery and Mount Vernon (and other sites) is only possible using affordable metro service. Without this project, our learning options are limited.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Kunsman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
