Juniors, seniors, one week, seven museums, fifteen sites, eighty degrees, 1,258,762 steps.

This, and much more, comprises the week in Washington, D.C., for a small group of high school students and their courageous chaperones.

The junior and senior class sets out early in the trimester looking at the ideas of justice, the role of government, and citizenship in their civics class. These ideas take on a new shape as the class embarks on their trek to the nation’s capital.

Staying only blocks away from Capitol Hill, the students have the opportunity to tour the Capitol, the Pentagon, and the Library of Congress. Besides seeing the sites and familiarizing themselves with D.C.’s public transportation system, the students have the opportunity to meet with Christians who are or have been involved firsthand in promoting international justice: Dr. James Skillen (Center for Public Justice), Ann Buwalda (Jubilee Campaign), and Steve Meyer (formerly involved in the CIA).

The trip is only a glimpse of the complex ideas of government and justice, but it encourages the class to probe more deeply into their lives as American citizens.