American Experience Foundation Awards Inaugural DC Rite Of Passage Field Trip

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Experience Foundation (AEF), the philanthropic arm of Destination DC, the official tourism and marketing office for Washington, DC, hosts the first annual DC Rite of Passage fieldtrip, Friday, February 27-March 1, 2015. Thirty-two 8th grade students from Sto-Rox Middle School in greater Pittsburgh, PA have been awarded the inaugural Rite of Passage Field Trip, a three-day excursion to the nation's capital to experience the city's stirring sites and attractions. The itinerary was developed by the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA) Foundation that focuses on changing young lives through travel.

Each year, Washington, DC is visited by thousands of 8th grade students who connect with American history through hands-on discovery in the nation's capital. Some schools are unable to make this trip due to lack of resources and financial support. The AEF, a 501(c)(3) public charity, was created to inspire travel to the nation's capital through educational programs focusing on the arts, culture, American history and the unique heritage of Washington, DC.

Destination DC has partnered with The Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA) and several local businesses to provide this complementary trip. The itinerary includes tours of the National Mall and U.S. Capitol Visitor Center; Ben's Chili Bowl; Entertainment Cruises; George Washington's Mount Vernon; Hard Rock Café; Newseum; Madame Tussauds Washington D.C.. Students and chaperones will be guests of the Hilton Crystal City. The AEF is supported by American Airlines; Big Bus; Marriott Family Foundation, and others.

"On behalf of the American Experience Foundation, we are proud to inaugurate the DC Rite of Passage field trip," said Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC. "We consider it our pleasure and responsibility to actualize the dreams of young Americans who might not otherwise experience this rite of passage." The American Experience Foundation partners on two annual initiatives: the Rite of Passage Field Trip and DC Backyard Bound, the latter sponsors a 8th grade classroom from a DC public school system for a daylong fieldtrip. In June 2014, Kelly Miller Middle School in DC's Ward 7 was been selected as the first recipient of the DC Backyard Bound program.

Destination DC is the official destination marketing organization for the nation's capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 850 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. www.Washington.org

The American Experience Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, develops national programs promoting education about the arts, culture, American democracy and the unique heritage of Washington, DC by selecting 8th grade classrooms from low-income areas within the United States and DC metropolitan area for fieldtrips to the nation's capital. The foundation, managed by Destination DC with the support from District hospitality organizations, presents the Gregory McCarthy Scholarship annually to an outstanding student at Hospitality High School in Washington, DC.

SOURCE Destination DC

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