If the students can’t come to D.C., then D.C. must go to the students.
This year’s annual field trips to the nation’s capitol, a rite-of-educational-passage for many American kids, is impossible because of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) is making sure that students in the 8th Congressional District get to see how DC works.
Slotkin is holding a virtual D.C. field trip for Michigan students missing the annual school event, or who may not otherwise be able to visit.
“Normally, around this time of year, we would be welcoming eighth-graders from across the district to our office in Washington, D.C., and giving them a tour of the Capitol,” Slotkin said. “We wanted to make sure they could still have that experience this year, even if at a distance.”
The event will feature a “Capitol tour,” as well as a live Q&A session with Slotkin. There will also be testimony from officials serving in a variety of government agencies, but whose non-partisan service may not always make headlines.
“I am passionate about making sure young Michiganders know how their federal government works, why civic engagement matters, and that they can hear from some of the dedicated public servants across government who work every day to research cures, protect our country, and inform the policy that shapes our lives.
Students from the Howell Public Schools, Pinckney Community Schools, and Hartland Consolidated Schools districts will be participating in the virtual tour. In addition to Slotkin, students will hear from Jake Tapper, an anchor from CNN; Julia Nesheiwat, deputy assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Resilience; Jason Levine, associate research physician, National Institutes of Health; Ana Escrogima, foreign service officer, United States Department of State; and Lieutenant Commander Kurt Albaugh, U.S. Navy.
The tour begins at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 30, 2020, via Zoom. If you’re interested in participating, click here to request the Zoom code.
