DC Trip

2012 Washington, DC Trip

A better world is possible when people acquire sufficient background for their role as citizens of a democracy.

We offer this program for classes or groups of student of 10 students or more.

Trip purpose

To educate students so that they have the background and skills to be good citizen by visiting the Holocaust Museum, the White House, and other major sites.

Location & Dates

The location and dates are determined when we have a group formed. In the past trips have lasted 5 days and we have stayed at the William Penn House.

William Penn House

515 E Capitol Street
Washington, DC

202-543-5560

Cost

The fixed cost per student is $995 and includes airfare, accommodations, meals, ground transportation, and tours.

Supplemental Tours & Leadership Training

We offer student support in the form of special classes to students to help them prepare to meet with members of Congress.

Interested in seeing what previous students experienced?

An overview of the previous leadership development trip is online. Click here for pictures and here for the previous program agenda.

On July 16, 2010, Carmen Cueto had an article published in The Davis Enterprise about her Holocaust survivor interview with Teach Peace member Leny Heymenn as part of Carmen's Holocaust Museum trip preparation. To read her article, click here.

A sample schedule from a past student trip is below.

Day 1

6:15 am - Depart from Sacramento (bag lunch provided)

4:58 pm - Arrive in Washington, DC (dinner at house provided)

Stay at the William Penn House (WPH). The location is 515 E Capitol Street in Washington, DC. The phone number for the WPH is 202-543-5560 and parents will also be able to stay in contact their children via Teach Peace's mobile phone in DC which is 530-554-7061.

8:00 pm - Movie Uncounted and discussion of how black box voting is a threat to our democracy.

Day 2

9 am - Welcome meeting and breakfast at WPH followed by a walk past the Capitol and along the Mall.

11 am - White House Tour (click here for rules and prohibited items). The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. We will arrive 15 minutes prior to our scheduled tour at the Southeastern Gate on East Executive Avenue. All members of your group are required to present photo identification when entering the White House grounds. You may not bring backpacks, purses, bags, cameras, food or drinks into the White House. Be aware that there are no facilities for storage of personal items so leave them at the William Penn House.

1 pm - Lunch at Cosi's near the White House.

1:30 pm - Visit to the Smithsonian Institution (the Smithsonian sites selected will be determined by the students). Depending on special passes we receive from members of Congress, this time may be used to visit the White House or Library of Congress.

5:30 pm - Return to hotel and 1 hour break.

6:30 pm - Dinner at the house and class on the Department of Peace plus a review of what was learned during the day.

8:00 pm - Congressional meeting role play practice time and optional movie Bringing Down A Dictator and discussion of how nonviolence is a force more powerful than violence.

Day 3

8 am - Breakfast at WPH

9:30 am - Travel and time for people opting to attend a religious service or role play instruction on speaking to representatives (people attending a religious service will have this same opportunity later in the day)

Noon - Lunch (bag lunch provided)

1:00 pm - A two hour Teaching Peace class by the author of several books including I'd Rather Teach Peace, Colman McCarthy at American University.

From 1969 to 1997, Colman wrote columns for the Washington Post. His topics ranged from politics, religion, and sports to education, poverty, and peacemaking. The Smithsonian Magazine said he is "a man of profound spiritual awareness." He has written for The New Yorker, The Nation, The National Catholic Reporter, The Progressive, Atlantic Monthly, and Readers Digest.

3:45 pm - Visit to the Holocaust Museum. Like Saturday, depending on special passes we receive from members of Congress, this time may also be used to visit the Supreme Court, etc.

5:30 pm - Leave the Holocaust Museum and travel to dinner.

6:30 pm - Dinner at Bus Boys and Poets (a peace restaurant with the Teaching Peace bookstore).

9:15 pm - Return to the house for the final review preparation for meeting with representatives and staff members on Monday.

Day 4

7:25 am - Opportunity to attend a high school peace class with Coleman McCarthy in Maryland.

8 am - Breakfast at WPH and presentation by former Congressman Tom Andrews on how to meet with a member of Congress.

8:30 am - Travel to Congress and start meeting with members of Congress. We won't have the exact meeting times until a week or two before the trip. We will spend the entire day visiting the three office buildings for representatives and two buildings for senators.

9:00 am - The four core Teach Peace teams start work on their list of 12 offices to visit for a total of 36 meetings

10:30 am - Congressman Lungren's office for 5 people.

Noon - Lunch (bag lunch provided).

1:00 pm - Continue meetings

2:00 pm - Meeting at Senator Diane Fienstein's office with legislative director Richard Harper.

2:00 pm - Meeting at Senator Barbara Boxer's office with deputy legislative director Shawn Moore.

2:30 pm – Meeting at Congresswomen Doris Matsui’s office with Chief of Staff and legislative assistant for 12 people.

3:00 pm - Meeting at Congresswomen Lois Capps office with Michele Levi-Benitez for 5 people.

5:00 pm - Meeting at Congressman Dennis Kucinich's office with Kate Veith.

6:00 pm - Return to hotel and have dinner.

6:45 pm - Trip review.

7:00 pm - DC Night Lights tour (the tour is 7-10 pm click here for details)

Day 5

Breakfast at WPH.

9:00 to 11 am - Capitol tour. We leave from Congressman Thompson's office located at 231 Cannon House Office Building, to begin the tour of the Capitol. The tour can last an hour and a half or longer. The nearest Metro stop to the Cannon House Office Building is Capitol South. Everyone will have to go through a brief security check, so please take this into account. No food, water or large bags are allowed in the Capitol, though cameras are allowed.

12:15 - Super Shuttle pickup at the William Penn House.

1:00 - Lunch at Friday's in the Ronald Reagan International airport.

2:35 pm - Depart for Sacramento

7:37 pm - Arrive in Sacramento

Questions