By Kaitlyn Pruitt and Kelsey Henson

Although many people are already tired of political discussions and ads on TV, Mr. Tackitt is beyond excited for the Washington D.C. trip in January of 2017. The inauguration D.C. trip is a four day long trip that consist of multiple activities and sightseeing. Students will visit Lincoln’s Memorial, the Kennedy gravesite, the FDR memorial, the Washington Monument, and many more. This is the third time Tackitt has lead this tour, and for him, it never gets old.
“I love taking kids to our nation’s capital. Just the emotions of being there is awesome,” Tackitt said. He continued, “Seeing all the monuments to people and events we have talked about in class makes it a little bit more real to them. Also, they can say they were there to hear a president speak in person. Most do not get that opportunity,”
Senior Lucas Behnke attended the last trip in 2012. He is a major history buff and said he would definitely recommend it.
“The Holocaust Museum was cool,” he said, and added “It was cool to find snipers on top of all the buildings.”
The group usually consists of around 20 students and 3 or 4 chaperones. Already this year 17 students and 5 adults have signed up, and Tackitt hopes more will join. To be eligible for student prices, travelers must be a current high school student at the time of the trip.
The cost of the trip is around $1800 for students and includes round trip airfare, hotels, a full time director, professional overnight security, and many more fees.
Some of the parents are worried about the cost of the trip, but Tackitt insures that it is well worth the expense. According to Explore America’s website, surveys show that students who travel are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree, maintain a college GPA of 3.0 or better and consider themselves to be better at problem solving and critical thinking, and better communicators and collaborators.
Two different payment plans are available to pay for the trip, and students have the option of participating in fundraisers if they wish to do so. All money students raise will go toward their trip; it will not be split among all travelers.
Anyone who would like more information about the program or who would like to donate to or sponsor a student can contact Mr. Tackitt at Flora High School.