Lower Sixth girl and Politics A Level student, Emma reports on her Washington experience,

“We visited the White House, the Capital building which is home to Congress, Arlington Cemetery, the Pentagon, the Smithsonian Museums and Ford’s Theatre which is where President Lincoln was shot in 1865. We were able to see some incredible places and really got a feel for the scale and efficiency of the systems required to run such a huge country. The trip to Washington DC was also a brilliant opportunity to really start to understand and develop our understanding of American history and politics.

One of the highlights of the trip was a four-hour walking tour around Washington’s National Mall. We had gloriously sunny weather which complemented our day visiting the famous Washington Memorials for the Korean War, the Vietnam War and World War Two as well as the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Roosevelt Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. The day gave us all an insight into the history of America’s honorable role in historic wars and some of the well-known leaders and figures of America.

We were able to visit the White House Visitor Centre and learn about both the current and past presidential households. From the back gates of the White House, we got to see the most famous views of the iconic building. Another highlight of the week was the incredible experience of seeing the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in all their glory in the National Archives Museum.

As a group, we all agreed that the trip succeeded in giving us a really good feel for Washington DC and the chance to explore all the famous monuments whilst also gaining an understanding of what it’s like to live and work in the capital of America. Many thanks to the brilliant staff for organising such a fun trip and answering all our questions!”