Day 6: Friday, June 8, 2012.
By this day, everyone seemed quite familiar with using the D.C. Metro, which was good because our day started by taking the Metro, headed towards the White House.
White House Visitor Center
No, we didn’t get to visit the White House. Rather, we attended a very interesting presentation at the While House Visitor Center, where we learned the history of the White House, how it has changed over the years, and how it has been used since its initial contruction.
At the same location, we had a good presentation / workshop about the role Eleanor Roosevelt played while First Lady.
American History Museum
Following lunch, we convened at the Museum of American History, where we learned about the education and research programs they offer visiting scholars. Their collection of resources, mainly assembled and categorized by volunteers, is truly amazing and diverse. For example, they have collections on coffee (which got my attention!) and the Jazz age.
Our visit at the museum concluded with an on-our-own exploration of the museum. The various exhibits featured themes with displays of events, artifacts, and information pertaining to that theme. For example, one theme was naval transportation. The exhibit had actual cars, railroad engines, boats, as well as mock displays of transportation centers and many, many images and videos. As a person fascinated by history, this museum was particularly fascinating to me.
The day concluded with participants heading in multiple directions, some to the Holocaust Museum, others to the Spy Museum, and others to dinner.
Day 6: White House Visitor Center, Museum of American History
Day 4: Library of Congress, Bureau of Indian Education, Indian Education Policy
Day 2: Supreme Court, Capitol Education Center, National Archives, Monument Tour
Day 1: Arrival, Orientation, On-our-own tour of the National Mall