A group of 15 students, one teacher and an additional chaperone from the Block Island School spent six days in Washington, DC from March 20 to 25, meeting with members of Congress and talking about key issues the United States faces today.
In Washington, the group successfully completed the demanding “Close Up Washington” student program. This included spending over 80 hours with students from schools nationwide, and using the nation’s capital as a living classroom.Amira Veldman-Wilson, a senior, said, “Close Up was an eye-opening experience that not only allowed us to experience the beauty of our capital but interact with kids from all different backgrounds. From having thoughtful conversations on our state’s policies to debating federal bills, we wereall able to truly enjoy this experience. The trip helped me open up diverse points of view and see other things in different ways.”
Jayne Conway, the high school history teacher who organized the experience, said, “This program is an incredible opportunity for our students to see the world’s greatest symbols of democracy up close. It shows them, in an experiential way, the importance of being informed and engaged in order to preserve democracy. This is more important now than
