Mr. Banwart's current and future AP Gov't./Macro/Euro students went on a 2-day field trip on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. They traveled to the State Capitol in Springfield, where they met IL Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Speaker Chris Welch, the State Budget Director, and member of the IL Dept. of Revenue while being led by Andy Manar and getting a behind-the-scenes look inside the Capitol Building. They also visited Arthur, IL and Amish Country, where they enjoyed a home-cooked meal at an Amish farm home. Then, an escape room in Peoria, where critical thinking, camaraderie, and team-building were on full display! 

After spending the night in East Peoria, they then visited a WWII historian, Clark Stoller, and enjoyed an interactive lecture and demonstration with real artifacts and mementos from the war. Finally, they visited Livingston County War Museum and enjoyed hearing from veterans, learning their stories, and remembering those that have sacrificed so greatly for us.
This trip wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of so many. 

A very special thanks to Deputy Governor Andy Manar for organizing the meetups and leading us through the Capitol, Clark Stoller for hosting us in his home library, our awesome community in Bunker Hill and BHHS staff/admins for supporting us, David Estes and all the vets at the Livingston County War Museum, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Speaker Chris Welch, and countless others. We couldn't have done it without you. This trip has been an incredible experience for the students; they will never forget it or your kindness and generosity. It's allowed them to get an up-close look of our government and our people in action, and learned what is possible with teamwork, commitment, and perseverance. The future is bright and we're so proud of our students and thankful for the amazing people that helped them experience this!