Help me give my students a chance to see Washington DC, while also conducting interviews with Washington insiders on topics they have spent the year studying.
Imagine being able to ask the Department of the Treasury, State Department, Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, or any Congressperson about the issues you are most passionate about. What would you say? How would you say it? How would you use your voice to make a difference?
My AP Government students are the next generation of problem solvers for the United States of America.
These young adults are not only interested in the political, economic and social issues in our country, but also strive to find solutions to these problems. While most of them will not step foot on Capitol Hill as politicians later in life, they are the first ones to volunteer to help out on election day, and the first to ask to stay after school to watch political debates or election coverage.
My Project
Washington Seminar is a week-long field study completed by AP Government students in our nation's capital. Students spend the week conducting interviews with Congresspeople, interest groups, government agencies, think-tanks, and professors from various universities. In the past, students have also had the chance to have Q&A sessions with Representative Bryan Steil, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Senator Ron Johnson, the DNC, the RNC, Supreme Court law clerks, Amy Goldstein, and Craig Gilbert.
In addition to the academic work that students complete during the week, there will be a variety of cultural experiences offered to students during the field study.
These experiences include time to visit museums, a tour of Arlington Cemetery, a trip to Ford's Theatre, exploring Georgetown, a tour of the Supreme Court, and a tour of the Library of Congress. Cultural experiences are dependent on what is available in Washington DC when we are there and change from year to year.
Cost of the 2020 trip is high for each student and subject to change, depending on how many students attend the trip. It is my goal every year to try to get each student who qualifies to Washington DC - which can only be done by raising scholarship money for students in need.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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