Orange County Youth Take on the Nation ’ s Capital
By: Orange County Office on Youth
The Orange County Office on Youth traveled to the nation ’ s capital this month to learn and engage with the democratic process at the federal level. As part of their tour, three locations were selected for the youth to tour including the National Archives, Holocaust Museum, and the Capitol building.
First Stop: The National Archives Museum
For those who don ’ t know, The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation ’ s record - keeper. Some of our nation ’ s most valuable documents are stored there in their original format including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Alisha Vines, Office on Youth Director, said she “ wanted youth to see history of the documents that helped found our country and learn about local government. ” One cool fact youth learned on the trip was the history on how the original documents are stored. Each document is displayed in a temperature - controlled chamber containing argon gas because oxygen causes deterioration. In addition to the argon gas, dim lighting also helps preserve the documents quality. The group also learned that the documents cannot be restored with anything other than original materials. If alternative materials are used, the documents are no longer considered original. In addition to seeing the documents, the group saw duplicates of old boxes that these documents would have been stored in prior to being placed in the National Archives.
Second Stop: The Holocaust Museum
As the youth made their way through the museum, they saw various representations of what life would have been like for victims during the Holocaust, including a large pile of shoes from a concentration camp. “ One of the girls came up to me afterward and asked ‘ which part of the museum got you? ” Vines said. “ The pile of shoes made people emotional and served as a representation of people during that time. ”
Vines ’ reason for visiting this museum was to empower youth to use their voices for those who can ’ t.
Third Stop: The Capitol
The youth ’ s next stop was The Capitol to meet with Representative Spanberger to learn about the bills that were being debated, the committees she serves on, and how a member is appointed to committees.
Courtesy of the National Archives Museum
Page 37 | April, 2023
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