First-year students are taking a series of field trips to see local, state, and federal governments at work. The students are part of the Richmond Endeavor Living-Learning course, “Education and Public Policy,” taught by Education and Leadership Studies Professor Tom Shields.

“As a class, we have been studying the frameworks and models of K-12 educational policy and discussing local, state, and federal governance of schools,” Shields said. “I thought it would be helpful for the students to see first-hand what policy making looks like in-person. There is a benefit to making the theory and descriptions in the readings come alive and be real.”

In February, Shields and his class visited the Virginia State Capitol, where the students met with representatives, lobbyists, and other policy makers. They met with Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, a 2004 UR alum, who gave the students an overview of his journey from student to senator.

“I think the students appreciated the opportunity to walk into buildings such as the State Capitol and see how busy and interesting policy making can be,” Shields said. “Sitting in Jefferson’s Capitol and hearing the delegates and the senators in their respective chambers talk and engage in dialogue made them realize that it takes a lot of work to move legislation forward.”

Later this month, Shields will first lead the students to a visit to the Henrico County School Board, followed by an all-day trip to D.C. to meet those shaping educational policy at the federal level.