Over Spring Break, 22 students from ATI traveled to Washington, D.C., as part of the Second-Year Transformational Experience Program (STEP). This marks the third time Wooster ATI STEP has organized a trip to the nation’s capital, and this year, the program expanded to include participants from the Mansfield, Marion, and Lima STEP programs, bringing the total number of Ohio State University STEP participants to over 65.
The group stayed at the Capitol Hill Hotel, which provided a dedicated meeting space in its library for discussions and reflections on their experiences. A highlight of this year’s trip was a visit to the FBI Museum on Pennsylvania Avenue, a new addition to the itinerary that required an extensive vetting process for approval.
Traveling together, the students took Amtrak to Union Station, with the Wooster group joining others at the Alliance stop. The itinerary included an evening bus tour featuring iconic landmarks such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol, and the White House. In addition, students explored the National Air and Space Museum and the Holocaust Memorial Museum, as well as the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian.
The students also had the opportunity to visit the Smithsonian's National Zoo, where they observed the giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao, who made their public debut in January 2025. Additionally, they visited the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, dedicated to honoring the 184 people who lost their lives at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
This immersive trip provided students with a deeper understanding of U.S. history, governance, and culture. As one participant noted, “Visiting these historic sites and museums brought what we learn in the classroom to life. It was an unforgettable experience.”
With the continued success of this trip, the CFAES Wooster ATI STEP program hopes to offer even more opportunities for students to engage with history and government firsthand in the future.
For more information on the STEP program, please visit: https://ati.osu.edu/academics/step
Or contact: Dr. Dan Linden.9, Dr. Eric Williams.1887, and/or Penny Nemitz.7
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