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On July 13 – 16, 2021, the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges TRIO Student Support Services program took 30 of its participants to Washington D.C. Travel was by charter bus so in two days, the group was able to visit many of the D.C. landmarks. TRIO SSS is a program that is 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education to help students that are first-generation, low-income, or have other qualifying barriers to completing their education. The program offers many services to assist students with basic college requirements and increase college retention and graduation, and transfer rates. TRIO SSS at Illinois Eastern Community Colleges serves 190 students within the district each year and has been at the IECC district for over 25 years.
The two days included tours of the University of Maryland and Howard University. As with any cultural excursion, educational elements were provided. Due to COVID restrictions, the group was able to only see the exteriors of many of the buildings including the White House and U.S. Capitol but were able to go inside Ford’s Theater and The National Archives where they saw the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence.
Many were filled with awe at seeing, in person, the monuments, documents, and buildings that they had only seen in pictures or movies. Pictures do not convey the grandeur. The final landmark visited was the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial which provided a very sobering experience. That is a must-see when traveling to the nation’s capital.
This trip was free to all students and staff. The group even had the pleasure of a tour guide familiar with Washington. She was able to provide as much within each day that could be had which added up to over 20 miles of walking in the two days.
Here is a partial list of what was visited: Washington Monument, Washington DC Zoo, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, FDR Memorial, Black Lives Matter Plaza, Vietnam Veterans Memorial including the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Pentagon 911 Memorial, US Air Force Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial also known as the US Marine Corps Memorial, Jefferson, and Lincoln Monuments, Ford’s Theater, and National Archives.
TRIO SSS uses a variety of activities to help students including intensive academic advising, workshops and trainings, cultural and college trips, student mentor programs, and tutoring. The program also helps students with budgeting, supplies, career counseling, and provides students with information about financial aid assistance.
