History Comes Alive: HPA Students Take On Washington, D.C. and Colonial Williamsburg

Shortly after we began our summer break in June, a lucky group of High Point Academy students traded their classrooms for cobblestone streets, marble monuments, and the hallowed grounds of our nation’s history. Over the course of an unforgettable World Strides trip, our HPA travelers stepped straight into the pages of their history textbooks and made memories that will last a lifetime.

Colonial Williamsburg & the Jamestown Settlement

The adventure kicked off at the very beginning — literally. In  Colonial Williamsburg, students wandered 18th-century streets alongside costumed interpreters, watching blacksmiths hammer iron, and played games of the early settlers. Just down the road at the  Jamestown Settlement, students walked the grounds of America’s first permanent English colony, getting a firsthand look at where the American story truly begins.

A Stop at Mount Vernon

The group visited  Mount Vernon, George Washington’s beloved estate overlooking the Potomac River — an important stop on the journey to trace America’s story from its colonial roots to its modern monuments.

A Smithsonian for Every Interest

No trip to the D.C. area is complete without a stop at the  Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where students stood in the shadow of real space shuttles and legendary aircraft. The  Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History  and  Smithsonian National Zoo  added to the adventure — from dinosaur bones to giant pandas, there was something to spark every student’s curiosity.

Honoring Those Who Served

Some of the trip’s most powerful moments came at the sites built to remember sacrifice. Students paid their respects at the  September 11th Pentagon Memorial  and stood in awe before the  Iwo Jima Marine Memorial. At  Arlington National Cemetery, the group witnessed the solemn precision of the  Changing of the Guard  at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, visited the  Kennedy gravesites, and paused at the  Challenger Memorial  — a moving reminder of courage and loss. They were also treated to the U.S. Army’s Twilight Tattoo, an action-packed live military event featuring soldiers from the U.S. Army’s ceremonial units, the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”

Monuments, Memorials, and Marble Halls

Washington, D.C.’s National Mall is practically an open-air history museum, and students covered it from end to end. They climbed the steps of the  Lincoln Memorial, reflected at the  Korean War Veterans Memorial  and  Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and explored the peaceful, waterside  FDR Memorial. The  Jefferson Memorial, the towering  Washington Monument, and the powerful  World War II Memorial  rounded out this unforgettable walk through American history.

Indoors, students explored the treasures of the  Library of Congress, confronted history’s darkest chapters at the  Holocaust Museum, and celebrated resilience and culture at the  National Museum of African American History and Culture  — each stop adding new depth to their understanding of the American story.

Why This Trip Matters

Textbooks can tell you about  what  happened. Standing where it happened is something else entirely. HPA students didn’t just learn about the Revolutionary War, the World Wars, or the Civil Rights Movement — they stood in the exact places where history was made, felt the weight of sacrifice at hallowed memorials, and walked in the footsteps of the presidents, soldiers, and everyday citizens who shaped our country.

Interested in joining a future HPA World Strides trip?  Keep an eye out for upcoming summer travel opportunities!