Members of our local planning team for NCDD 2014 have organized four amazing field trips for conference participants on Saturday evening. We left time in the schedule for you to enjoy what the DC area has to offer on Saturday starting at 4pm, and though you’re free to do whatever you’d like that night, you can’t go wrong with these four options.
There’s something for everybody in these four field trips: music, history, performance, monuments, yummy food, and of course, lots of great discussion and networking!
Sign up today to secure your spot on the field trip of your choice.
Trekking through Generations of Democratic Participation in DC
Hosted by the Close Up Foundation
Join us for this stimulating and exciting tour of Washington DC as a place of historic struggles over citizen participation and current debates over changing neighborhoods. This tour will feature three rounds of discussion at iconic spots around town: At Lincoln Park, A Tale of Two Statues; over dinner in a neighborhood restaurant, a conversation about sustainability and/or gentrification; and after we eat, a discussion of the Three Faces of Democracy.
We’ll examine the history of our democracy through the protective lens at the Jefferson Memorial, the progressive lens at the FDR Memorial and the participatory lens at the MLK memorial (with a drive by or stop at the Lincoln Memorial if there is time).
We’re renting a 50-seat bus for this fun and professionally-run tour, which is presented by our friends at the Close Up Foundation. Close Up has years of experience giving high-quality educational tours in DC. Transportation is covered by the $15 fee, but you’ll need to cover the costs of your own dinner. For more info, contact Rachel Talbert at rtalbert@closeup.org.
Cost: $15
Stage Performance of Toast
by dog & pony dc
Enjoy an evening of participatory theater on Capitol Hill in DC! Presented by dog & pony dc, Toast is about “a secret society of inventors [that] invites the audience to collaboratively push the boundaries of our current technology and explore the awesome potential of group innovation.” dog & pony dc is a respected Washington, DC company that explores new ways for audiences to experience theatre. The troupe will also be playing a role during the conference, leading us through a lively exploration of our aspirations for D&D in Saturday afternoon’s plenary.
NCDD has purchased a block of 15 tickets for this performance, so sign up soon while we still have spots! The theatre is a block away from Barracks Row, a lovely neighborhood with tons of great eating options. Tickets are $15 per person, and you’ll cover your own transportation and dinner costs.
The performance is at 7:30pm at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE in DC). You’ll take the metro from Reston into the city. For more info, contact NCDD Board member Marla Crockett at marlacrockett@gmail.com.
Cost: $15
Field Trip to Historic Morven Park
Hosted by Morven Park staff
Join us for a special evening at Morven Park focused on the theme “Rural to Suburban to Urban: The Role of D&D in Changing Neighborhood Environments.” Morven Park is a gorgeous historic site in Leesburg, Virginia that was home of former Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis. It was once in the countryside, but today the park sits on the border between rural traditions and suburban sprawl. On this field trip, we will look at the implications of changing from a rural to urban setting now and a century ago.
A tour of the historic Davis mansion will be followed by wine and light refreshments from a local vineyard. Over drinks we’ll discuss the social changes that occur as an area moves from rural to suburban/urban and what role dialogue and deliberation can play in engaging the local community through these transitions.
You’ll also hear about Morven Park’s Center for Civic Impact, and discuss how educators are increasingly turning to non-traditional centers of learning, like historic sites, to promote civic learning and democratic engagement and help restore public faith in our democracy. We’re chartering a van to take the group to Morven Park. For more info, contact NCDD member Abby Pfisterer at apfisterer@morvenpark.org.
Cost: $25
U Street Food & Jazz Tour (Sorry – this field trip is already at capacity!)
Hosted by Natalie Hopkinson, author of Go-Go Live
Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Brown—all are Washington, D.C. native musicians who have helped to shape the history of Washington’s U Street, once the heart of the all-black segregated entertainment district. The strip was devastated by the 1968 riots that followed Martin Luther King’s assassination, but in the past decade it has experienced a revival and is now home to a vibrant mix of people, music, and restaurants. Join author Natalie Hopkinson, Ph.D., fellow of the Interactivity Foundation’s Arts & Society initiative, and resident of Greater U Street, as she guides a 2-hour food and jazz tour. Come hungry, and fee free to check out some shows after the tour!
Natalie frequently publishes essays on culture and education in the Washington Post, The Root, the New York Times and Essence magazine and has authored two books, most recently Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City.
The cost is $40 per person, including food. Participation is limited to 15 people. You’ll take the metro from Reston into the city. Contact Natalie at hopkinson@interactivityfoundation.org if you have questions.
Cost: $40