400 Milwaukee Public Schools 9th grade students will be taking a trip to Washington, D.C. next February.
The all expenses paid, five-day trip to the nation’s capital is paid for by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation.
Students from four MPS schools, including Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning (WCLL), will get to go on the trip – provided they’re in good standing with the district.
At WCLL, district officials told students about the trip during a surprise assembly Thursday morning.
“I’m really excited I get to see the monuments and stuff in D.C., that I’ve never seen before,” said eighth grader Louviena Shears.
“I feel honored,” said eighth grader Justin Jackson. “There’s so much emotion in my head right now. I just can’t believe it.”
State law requires high school students pass a U.S. Civics test to graduate. Eighth grader Gabriella Ingram hopes the trip to Washington will help her prepare for that.
“I think it will help me out, with getting to know things better,” Ingram said.
The trip to D.C. is a pilot program and part of MPS' larger Learning Journeys program.
Learning Journeys uses field trips to sites like the Boerner Botanical Gardens, Discovery World, and Milwaukee Public Museum to provide students with hands-on experiences that supplement their work in the classroom.
MPS hopes the program can grow to eventually provide a trip to Washington, D.C. for all of the district's ninth graders.
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