Students and their families have been exposed to people, programs, resources, and connections that can open doors for them, and they are able to navigate and access those opportunities.

As teachers, we need to ensure that students are provided access to opportunities so that that they are continuing to build knowledge and have experiences that they would not have access to otherwise. While Washington, D.C. has multiple opportunities for students that students outside of D.C. would not have access to, many students are still unable to visit the museums, historical buildings, or landmarks to learn about their city. Some of the historical sites in the area do not make information easily accessible for younger students, but there are some programs that provide transportation, information, and access to sites that are not available to the general public. Two programs that I pushed for my students included the Why America? Initiative Partnership and a Pen Pal Program with my former students in Leland, MS to ensure that my students have access to information and perspectives that they would otherwise not have. Through these programs, students are being exposed to different people, resources, and connections that can continue to open doors for them.