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CUSICK - Eleven students from Cusick High School recently returned from a transformative seven-day educational trip to Washington, D.C., made possible through the support of the Cusick community.
“The experience offered students a meaningful opportunity to engage with American history and civics beyond the classroom,” civics teacher Ryan Markel said.
The itinerary was rich with historical significance, he said. Students visited the U.S. Capitol, The White House, The National Archives, The American History Museum, The Holocaust Memorial Museum, The National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Funding for the trip was made possible through a combination of efforts—such as working basketball concessions—and a successful community auction and dinner held at the Cusick American Legion in November.
Major auction contributions from the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, the Cusick American Legion, the Cusick Sons of the American Legion and the support of the community played a critical role in ensuring students could attend at no cost, Markel said.
For many of the students, it was their first time traveling beyond the Pacific Northwest.
They returned with a renewed appreciation for the country’s history and a stronger sense of civic responsibility. This is a trip that the Cusick School District hopes to continue with in the future on a semi-annual basis.
“This trip reminded our students that they are part of a larger story,” Markel said. “It’s something they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives—and something we hope inspires them to be thoughtful, engaged citizens.”
