Learning to lead

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CHARLOTTESVILLE — Students in the Eastern Hancock High School Royal Leadership Academy are planning a two-day trip to Washington, D.C., where they will tour the famous landmarks of the nation’s capital.

The group of nine students will travel June 12 to 14 to see such sights as the World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, Korean War Memorial, National Mall, Tidal Basin, Martin Luther King Memorial, FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, and the White House, said teacher Debbie Grass, who leads the Royal Leadership Academy program.

“This year’s class expressed an interest in traveling to Washington D.C. to see the places where so many great leaders have worked,” Grass explained.

The group has to raise about $1,100 per student to fund the trip; they have raised more than $4,400 so far. They’ve organized “jeans weeks” for teachers at Eastern Hancock, where teachers could donate in order to wear jeans while they taught. They’ve also reached out to local businesses seeking donations and are looking into a fundraiser selling frozen yogurt snacks to their fellow students.

Students in the academy originally considered traveling somewhere local, like the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, said Abriana Carnes, a student who plans to travel with the group to Washington, D.C.

Principal David Pfaff suggested the group consider a trip that would require a leadership component, and the group came up with the idea to take a whirlwind tour of the nation’s capital.

“He was on board from the start,” Carnes said. “He knew we could handle it, because we are really passionate about the idea.”

The Royal Leadership Academy has until June 12 to complete its fundraising efforts; to donate, contact teacher Debbie Grass at [email protected].