Field trips are offered for 7th-12th grades on select Wednesdays, 10-11:30am. Requests for a different time will be accommodated depending on staff availability and capacity. Contact education@dchistory.org with the following information:
- Two specific Wednesday dates that work for you
- School name and grade
- Number of students
- How this field trip connects to what you’re teaching
Requests are not confirmed until you have heard directly from a staff member with the available approved date, and are limited by staff capacity and scheduling availability. Field trips are available by request and subject to staff availability. We are not able to accommodate more than 30 students per field trip.
History Hunt: Changemakers (Grades 7-12)
When should people fight for change? Explore the various ways activists helped shape DC, analyze objects centered around civic engagement and community organizing, and (time allowing) make your voice heard through the creation of a piece of wearable art.
History Hunts are our exhibit-based field trips that introduce students to key themes in local history, from the founding of Washington, DC and the development of neighborhoods through time, to the desegregation of schools and the on-going struggle for Home Rule. Alongside DC History Center educators, students will explore the main exhibit in the DC History Center, view items from the collections in the Kiplinger Research Library, and complete hands-on activities.
History Hunt field trips introduce the DC History Center as a critical resource for students and teachers. They also provide a historical context in which to discuss contemporary issues facing students in Washington, DC, and engage teachers how exhibit content and collections can be incorporated into onsite and in-class lessons.
Outcomes
History Hunt field trips help students:
– Develop a sense of identity, place, and pride in Washington
– Increase familiarity with major events in local history
– See themselves and their communities represented in the city’s past
– Make connections between classroom learning and their experiences growing up in the nation’s capital
Details
Fees
FREE for DC Schools
$250 for MD and VA schools
$300 for non-local (outside of DC, MD, VA) schools
Chaperones
One adult chaperone is required for every ten students. Chaperones MUST be present with the students at all times within the DC History Center (including during student workshops).
Lunch
With prior notice, your group may eat lunch in Memorial Hall. Please note there are no tables available, but students and chaperones may request to use our stools. There is plenty of outdoor green space surrounding the Carnegie Library building for students to eat lunch if the weather allows.
Transportation
The DC History Center does not provide transportation. Bus transport must be arranged by the school or group. The DC History Center is located two blocks south of the Mt. Vernon/Convention Center and two blocks north of the Gallery Place Metro Station.
COVID-19 Policies
Face masks are suggested but currently optional.
Payment and Cancellation Policy
DC schools are free.
For non-DC schools, field trip payment is due at least 14 days before your visit. Invoices will be sent by email. Payment can be made online via credit card or by check.
Cancellations or changes to your reservation must be made 14 days prior to the scheduled visit to receive a refund.
We are unable to issue a refund to groups that cancel within 14 days of arrival, unless a visit is canceled due to the DC History Center’s or the group’s site being closed due to inclement weather, positive case(s) of COVID-19, or a state of emergency.
Still have questions? Email education@dchistory.org and a member of our team will get in touch with you.