Todd County’s Beta Club students, which includes students from the elementary, middle, and high school levels, traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, for a two-day experience that mixed history, culture, and hands-on learning.
The group also had the opportunity to spend the night at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Students departed from the high school at 5 a.m., beginning their trip with a stop in Covington, Kentucky. There, they toured the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption before heading to well-known Skyline Chili, where students had mixed feelings about its iconic dish. The group then continued to Cincinnati, visiting the Cincinnati Museum Center. Students explored exhibits on Ohio’s history and transportation, as well as replicas of historic Cincinnati. Their time at the Museum was concluded with watching the documentary OHIO at the Museum’s own OMNIMAX theater.
That evening, the students made their way to the Cincinnati Zoo for an exclusive nighttime VIP tour and activities. Their “African Predator Prowl” program guided them through the zoo’s animals, their habitats, and their behaviors after dark, and then stayed the night there as well.
On the second day, the group went out to the zoo for daytime activities, which included opportunities to feed and interact with various animals. Following the morning tour, the students visited the Krohn Conservatory, where they viewed a wide variety of plants along with a handcrafted wooden display of Cincinnati’s landmark structures. Then the trip concluded with the return ride home.
This type of educational travel is not new for Todd County’s Beta and Gifted and Talented program. Last year, students toured the Old Kentucky Home estate in Bardstown and visited the Kentucky Capitol Building in Frankfort.
Dr. Lisa Petrie, Todd County Schools’ Gifted and Talented Coordinator and Beta Club sponsor, told us the importance of the Beta Buddies program. “Beta Buddies is a tutor-mentor program that creates meaningful connections between older and younger students,” she said. “Older students learn the responsibility that comes with being role models, while younger students look up to them and are inspired to follow in their footsteps. We’ve also seen positive impacts on student behavior across all schools.”
She added that trips like the Cincinnati visit broaden students’ perspectives.
“Experiences like this show our students new areas and how big our state and its surrounding areas really are, and how much they can learn beyond the classroom. Our goal is to continue offering these opportunities at a low cost so more Todd County students can benefit from them.”
Story by: Omar Figueroa-Navarrete
Photos from those who attended the trip
