Education

In Washington, CHS Students Experience How Democracy Works

Students enrolled in the St. Croix Central High School Close Up organization recently returned from the nation’s capital where they attended the Close Up Washington Flagship program. The group of 11 traveled on November 13-19 and joined with other Close Up high school chapters from across the country to learn about the American democratic process. Central High School history teacher and Close Up advisor Ericka Hansen took ten students on the annual trip, which gives high school students and educators an inside look at their democracy in action. Using the nation’s capital as their living classroom, program participants get a “close up” view of government processes and places that make the district unique and functional. Students visited the Washington Monument, Martin Luther King Memorial, the Smithsonian, US Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, the White House and more. Rightfully a learning experience, students also participated in political discussions and met with congressmen and c...