Every spring, our schools offer students the opportunity to travel outside of New Orleans and experience places that impact their lives. This annual right of passage often includes many “firsts” from taking airplane flights to riding a subway, to experiencing national monuments after sundown to interactive exhibits that place them at a lunch counter sit-in with hostile voices yelling in their ears. Students also had the joy of exploring the campuses of prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities and dreaming big!
Tubman’s Washington, D.C. Trip
Charles DePietro, Director of Curriculum and Instruction sums up Tubman’s 7th grade trip as, “7 museums. 6 memorials. 5 days. 4 buffets. 3 metro rides. 2 incredibly long bus rides. 1 unforgettable experience.”
“37 students, six teachers, and one parent went on a five day long trip to the nation’s capital. Many students experienced their first ride on a subway, first baseball game at Nationals Park, and even first time staying in a hotel room with other students. While the chaperones planned guided tours of the Natural History Museum, the Capitol building, and the National Portrait Gallery, there were some once-in-a-lifetime experiences that students encountered. As they walked to the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Sunday morning, they were able to experience George Washington University’s commencement and hear NASA engineer Dr. Christine Darden, of ‘Hidden Figures’, address the crowd and stress the importance of education, especially math and science. On the Howard University campus, students were able to talk to alumni, from the class of ’65 to the class of ’19, about what they valued most from their college experiences. They were also able to witness World War II veterans visit the WWII memorial and celebrate the lives of those who sacrificed their lives during the war. These were experiences that students will not soon forget. Despite being a jam-packed trip, and walking more than 27 miles, many (now) 8th grade scholars are already asking how they can become chaperones for next year’s trip.” Thanks, Mr. DePietro for the great narrative!
