Seven Whitley County students will get the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC to visit historic sites and experience educational experiences they normally would not have access to due to a grant that fully paid for the trip.
“They will not pay for anything,” said Whitley County East Elementary School Special Education Teacher Marjorie Hendrickson. “It is fully funded.”
Only 46 students throughout the Commonwealth were given the opportunity to go on the trip.
“I had to apply for it out of 120-130 people,” said Hendrickson.
The opportunity is aimed at students who may not otherwise have access to travel experiences like this, particularly students with low-income backgrounds.
The trip was planned by Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC).
“The KEDC is doing a wonderful job with it,” said Hendrickson. “They’ve been doing this trip for about 20 or 25 years.”
The trip is scheduled for the Monday after Fourth of July weekend and will include visits to historic sites such as Arlington National Cemetery where students will participate in a brief ceremony.
“It’s a great experience,” said Hendrickson. “I went when I was in high school. I thought that was something that we should pursue.”
“I want to thank you for going the extra step… and applying for this grant and thinking about our kids,” said Superintendent John Siler. “It’ll be a great trip for them they’ll remember for the rest of their life.”
Hendrickson and Siler both agreed this is a trip they should push for in the upcoming years.
Siler also noted the trip comes at a meaningful time as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.
“It couldn’t happen at a better time, right after Fourth of July, our 250th anniversary of our country… You know Washington, D.C. is gonna be beautiful,” said Siler. “It’s going to be special.”
