D.C. Conference offers local students bigger dreams

Washington D.C.’s junior leadership conference catches the eye of the Kimball’s Joseph Bremer, a sixth grade student at Mary Lynch Elementary.

This summer Joseph took a trip to Washington D.C. after being nominated by Mr. Bernie Walker for the conference. Nominations are made based on student’s aspirations, according to Walker.

This program began in 1985 with a teacher who wanted to give her students a chance to attend the second Inauguration of Ronald Reagan.

While attending, the students were able to meet Congress members, see the monuments and other sites surrounding the nation’s capital, and got to experience democracy in action. During the first conference, some students soon realized their full potential. They began dreaming more and setting higher goals in life.

Today there are now 17 different career, leadership, and technology programs for students to attend.

This program works hard to help children in elementary school set higher goals and dream bigger than they had previously.

Educators and subject-matter professionals put the conference together. These professionals enjoy making impacts on children’s lives, which is why this program continues to run.

More than 800,000 students have joined and have benefited from the annual trek to D.C. over the years.

Walker has nominated six students from Kimball in the past seven years, including Ethan Culek-Schaffer, Ethan Bemis, Brendan Walker, Samantha Bemis, Charlotte Hargreaves and, most recently, Joseph Bremer. Out of these nominations, just four were able to attend - Ethan Bemis, Samantha Bemis, Charlotte Hargreaves and Joseph Bremer.

Though the students were in Washington D.C. for the leadership and dream building programs, they also got to meet new people, visit the capital, look at different sites and learn about Washington D.C.’s history and the government.

“This (lesson) is one they can take with them,” Walker said.