Richlyn Whittaker an 8th grade scholar at Perspectives Middle Academy Reflects on what he learned during the trip to Washington DC.
I learned a great deal about our country on my trip to Washington. I was inspired on this trip and believe that if people come together they can make a change in the world. I have learned that Auburn Gresham isn’t the only neighborhood with problems, many neighborhoods in the United States have issues regarding schools and families. By meeting such incredible people from across the country, I hope to contribute to making the world a better place.
I believe that we all need to contribute because a good future should be offered to all , but we must learn how to prepare for it. I think that every one is responsible for this endeavor.
A reflection written by Sandra, a student from Marquette Elementary:
Today we went to a Youth Summit at Howard University. The cause was Barack Obama’s 2020 vision for the US to have the #1 graduation rate for high schoolers. It was long but I enjoyed it a lot. There was music, poetry, and art. My experience there was so great. We went into different breakout groups and I found good information on college. One was the Pell Grant, which is when the government gives you $5,550 for every year you attend college, you must complete something called FAFSA. We got a tour of the Howard University campus. Today is my last day here for this trip, but I hope it’s not the last day I ever come!
A huge highlight was seeing our own Richlyn from Perspectives Middle Academy represent Elev8 Chicago and middle school age students on the Youth Policy Panel. The panel was moderated by Alberto Retana, Director of Community Outreach for the US Department of Education:
During one part of the summit, students worked in groups by the area of the US they live in, brainstormed an issue for that region, as well as some solutions. Joshua from Ames Middle School volunteered to represent his group and share their ideas on stage:
Some reflections from Ana, a student at Ames Middle School and Estefania and Melissa, students at Orozco Academy:
Our second day was a day of adventures! Check out some documentation of our day below! We will update and add more media in the upcoming days, so continue to check back
A reflection written by Ebony, a student from Reavis Elementary School:
THE ELEV8 team and I had a great time. First, we went to the White House and had an awsome tour. We learned so much information about the rooms that we visited, such as the Red Room, Blue room, Green room, The dining room, and many more. Also, did you know that the red room was used when First Ladies would have special guests coming? Actually, there
was a room where many famous musicians performed at, sych as Stevie Wonder and Jamie Foxx. Sometimes, even President Barack Obama held press conferences in that room. The tour was amazing. Then after the tour, we went site seeing. We saw so many landmarks and monuments. For example, we saw the Lincoln Memorial, the National Monument, the Capital, we even saw names of people that died in Vietnam. It was really fascinating! That was the most rememberable day I have ever had!
Another reflection written by Alexis, a student from Marquette Elementary School:
Today we visited the White House. The thing that was the most interesting there for me was that everything was named by its color. I thought it was funny how everything was named by its color. After the White House, I rode a double-decker bus for the first time! I also saw the Lincoln Memorial. It was a very special moment for me because I have always followed and looked up to Lincoln. We also went to the Washington Monument. It was fun because the wind was very strong. I also made some new friends from the other Elev8 sites. We went to see the National Museum of American History, where I was interested in the Theory of Evolution. We ended with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe where everyone sang Happy Birthday to me because I turned 13 today. All in all, I had fun.
A reflection from Jordan, a student at Reavis Elementary, after our White House tour:
This morning students from the Elev8 Peace and Leadership Councils trained their peers from Oakland and New Mexico on how to do Elev8tor Speeches, Root Cause Analysis, the importance of Research, and how to meet with Decision-Makers.
In the afternoon, students visited the Capitol and visited the offices of elected officials on the Hill.
Marshaun speaking at a visit in Dick Durbin's office
Posing before our hill visits!
A reflection from Jasean, a student from Reavis Elementary School:
