A fun, educational trip is planned for spring break 2026. The dates for the trip are March 16-20. The trip is led by Signe Cook, third-grade teacher in Great Bend, assisted by Mark Cook, eighth-grade teacher at Great Bend Middle School, and Nicole Hartman, teacher at Ellinwood High School. The trip is open to anyone, eighth grade and older, including adults. This is not a school trip, it is an independent trip run through the travel company EF (Education First).
Signe Cook went to Washington D.C. as an eighth grader in Wichita, and as a teacher wants to bring the joy of traveling to other students. While teaching in Junction City, she took two large groups of eighth-grade students to Washington D.C. Signe then moved to Fowler and took a large group of high school students to Washington D.C. In 2015, the Cooks moved to Ellinwood and began a tradition of taking trips every other year. There have been two trips to New York/Boston, a trip to Las Angeles/San Francisco and a trip to Washington D.C. The last trip to Washington D.C. was a mixture of Ellinwood and Great Bend students.
The trip is offered to anyone in the area who is in the eighth grade and older. They do not have to be in a certain class or activity to go on the trip. It gives students who are not involved in specific classes or clubs to go on a trip. Any student or adult is welcome to go.
The goal of the trip is to expose students to travel outside of Kansas, and show them important American landmarks they may otherwise never have the opportunity to see.
“The students really look forward to seeing the American landmarks they have learned about in school and seen on the news,” Signe said. “With today's economy, it is more reasonable for a family to send their student rather than pay for the whole family. They are giving their student the chance to make connections to what they have learned in the classroom with real-life experiences. This may be the only chance they get to see the Washington D.C. area, or it will spark an interest to travel more and open their mind to new experiences.”
The trips are generally planned every other year to give students time to raise money for the trip.
The 2026 trip will be especially important as it is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The sights in Washington D.C. include the White House, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, The Smithsonian Museums, Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Marine Core War Memorial, US Capital, Library of Congress, US Supreme Court, the National Archives 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, and the Holocaust Museum. The trip will end with a visit to the International Spy Museum.
There will be two day excursions. The first is to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate, tomb, and slave memorial. The second excursion is to the Gettysburg battlefield, museum and cyclorama experience.
When signing up for the trip, everything is included in the cost of the trip, including all travel, hotel accommodations, food, admission, and security at the hotel. The only other money needed on the trip is for souvenirs.
There have been fundraisers such as baseball and basketball concessions in Ellinwood and a meal at the Ellinwood After Harvest Festival. The group has more basketball concessions planned and is open to any other fundraisers.
If you would like to join the 2026 Washington DC trip, go to www.efexploreamerica.com/2779680dt. You can see the itinerary and sign up for the trip there. You can also call or text Signe Cook at 316-633-0328 with questions. There will also be an informational meeting on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ellinwood High School Commons.