Registration opens for D.C. trip

Registration has begun for an annual student tour to the nation's capital, said Tom Johnsen, one of the trip's organizers.

The trip, which is open to area students in grades eight and above, has become an annual tradition and will celebrate its 32nd year of operation in 2009. The activity is sponsored by local teachers. Over the past three decades, more than 10,000 students have participated in the tripJohnsen said.

Informational meetings have been scheduled to provide an overview of the trip and answer questions from parents. The meetings will be conducted from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Dates and locations are:

•Medea Creek Middle School, Oak Park, Thurs., Oct. 2in the school library

•Lindero Canyon Middle School, Mon., Oct. 6, at Lake Lindero Country Club in Agoura Hills

•A.E. Wright/A.C. Stelle Middle Schools, Tues., Oct. 7, at the Calabasas City Library meeting room

•Sequoia/Sycamore Canyon Middle Schools, Wed., Oct. 22in the Sequoia Middle School multipurpose room, Newbury Park

•Colina/Redwood Middle Schools, Thurs., Oct. 23, in the Colina Middle School multipurpose room, Thousand Oaks

The trip is a nonschool activity, Johnsen said, adding that school sites will not be able to provide any information on the trips or hand out materials.

"We have learned so much from the past years that we have been able to continually finetune our itinerary to ensure the best trip possible," Johnsen said

Despite increases in airfare, the organizers have been able to keep the trip cost below what is charged for similar tours in neighboring districts. The entire cost of the trip, including airfare, lodging, all meals, evening activities, sightseeing and tips, is $1,564. The trip is conducted during spring vacation.

Johnsen, who teaches advanced placement government classes at Calabasas High School, works with area teachers and school administrators in their off hours to plan the trip. He said the trip may be an exciting adventure for students, but the primary goal is education.

"We develop the itinerary as if it were a lesson plan," Johnsen said. "We know that the students will have fun, but we also know that this can be an incredible opportunity for teaching as well."

To this end, pre-trip classes are conducted to help the students appreciate what they will see and experience. "During the classes, we review everything from the history of the city to contemporary issues before Congress," Johnsen said. "When students arrive, they aren't just looking at buildings; rather, they are entering a huge classroom geared for nonstop learning."

In Washington, students visit monuments, memorials and the National Holocaust Museum. They also attend a performance at the Kennedy Center. As in past years, students will also visit Colonial Williamsburg, a town that exists just as it did in 1775.

"To visit Williamsburg is to walk back into history," Johnsen said. "It is living history at its best and has consistently been a highlight of the tour."

The tour examines the Civil War through a visit to the battlefield at Gettysburg. Time is set aside for the students explore the Smithsonian Institution, including the National Air and Space Museum.

Johnsen said that minutebyminute planning is the key to the continued success of the program. The program is routinely sold out, though there is a waiting list.

"One of the most exciting aspects of the trip for us is that some of the teachers who serve as chaperons participated in the trip as eighth-graders nearly two decades ago," Johnsen said.

Teachers Jim Benton, Ron Fornelli, Phalba Thomas, Roberta Consani, Marilyn Fine and Ray Ballard will participate in this year's trip, he said.

For more information, call Johnsen at (805) 499-1569 or visit www.traveled2dc.com.

—Stephanie Bertholdo