Why We Go

Why is it so important for a small rural community in Western Massachusetts to raise close to $10,000 to take a group of sixth graders to Washington, D.C.?

The obvious reasons to travel with children to Washington, D.C. are the vast opportunities for learning that are available in one concentrated area.  To begin with, it is the seat of our federal government.  We can see physical representations of the three branches of government:  the executive branch in the White House, the legislative body in the Capitol building, and the judicial branch in the Supreme Court building. It becomes real.

But there is so much more.  The design of the city by Frenchman Pierre L’Enfant is breathtakingly beautiful.  The placement of the monuments and memorials amidst the museums and parks is always amazing to see and experience – and it is always growing and changing.  It is the repository of our national culture and identity.  Washington displays the most enduring and innovative art and architecture from all over the world.  It’s a Greek city.  The temple-like design of many of the buildings reminds us that the roots of our form of government are found in the democracy of Ancient Athens. The contributions of the great people whose actions directed the course of history are everywhere.  The free museums cover every facet of the natural world and human accomplishment.  It is the crossroad for the international community.  People from all over the world inhabit its streets.  The far reaching explorations in Washington lay a strong foundation for learning that reaps benefits throughout their whole life.

Yet every bit as important are the intense, personal, and character-building experiences.  Children and their families work hard over a long period of time to truly earn the trip.  They travel a long distance and learn that it is possible to expand their horizons to include places far from home.  They bond with their classmates and share an indelible moment in their lives that will connect them forever.  They feel their parents and parents of their friends enjoying this adventure along with them and caring for them and keeping them safe and secure the whole while.

(April 2007 - Written by Mrs. Susan Todd, a former Colrain Central School sixth grade teacher who started the sixth grade Washington, D.C. trips in the 1990's and returned in 2007 to teach and lead another trip.)