The Tucker County Commission approved a request that will allow students of Tucker County High School to visit Pittsburgh this fall. Chris Wilson, a teacher at Tucker County High School, presented the proposal to the Commission for consideration.
“When I was new I got a chance to tag a long as a chaperon on a trip…to the Pittsburgh Science Center,” Wilson said.
Wilson said that he realized during that first trip, not only did the students enjoy themselves, but they experienced a lot of things that many of them otherwise would never have had the chance to.
“The kids had a blast. They experienced new thing and got to be with a new mix of kids, go places and do things a lot of them otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do.”
Wilson said he took on the Spring Washington D.C. trip following the retirement of former Art Teacher Charlie Waters last year. Prior to stepping up to the leadership role, Wilson said he was Waters’ assistant. This will be Wilson’s third year leading the trip, according to Wilson.
“It’s been such a hit,” Wilson said.
While the Washington D.C. trip has been a staple of the school, it is often at capacity and often there is not enough room for everyone to attend, Wilson said. The trip only takes one bus, according to Wilson. As a solution, a second trip has been looked at for Pittsburgh.
“We are looking to open a trip in fall. It is going to be open to almost any student that is interested that would go to Pittsburgh to visit these museums, botanical gardens and some other monuments and points of interest there.” Wilson said.
Wilson said that some points of interest have already been set for the trip with some offering free or discounted admission for the students.
“We’ve already got some scholarship requests from the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History. (The) University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning and Nationality have agreed to give the students free admission.”
However, funding has been the largest hurdle the group has had to overcome. In the past, the group has approached and received funding from the Tucker Community Foundation. Over the years, Wilson said the amount has added up to thousands. Wilson said they want to diversity the entities they request support from.
“But the big hurdle we get with funding that trip is just the bus, staff to run the trip.”
Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau asked if the group had asked the Tucker County Board of Education for funding for the trip. Wilson said if the request was not tied to a specific grant or funding source that was already allocated, the answer was always no. Wilson said he has gone to the Tucker County Board of Education and to the Tucker County High School Principal Alex Cork and has been told that no miscellaneous funding exists that would cover a trip of this nature.
“In our budget this isn’t either,” Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau said. “But when it comes to kids, we try our best to find it because…education comes in all different forms. You don’t have to get it in the classroom. I encourage our Board of Education to try and find funds for this. The same way we’ll try to find funds to give to your request.”
In a unanimous vote of the three man Board, the Commission approved the $800 request for funding.
The Pittsburgh field trip is scheduled for October 17th.
