On Feb. 24, 2026, students taking AP Government and Politics were able to travel to the federal District U.S. Court of Southern Indiana. The students began with a guided tour of the courthouse, where they learned not only the function of the court, but also the building history and architecture. The building itself left a lasting impression on the students; “The architecture of the whole room was jaw dropping. I believe everyone should be able to experience that,” senior Carson Walden said. 

Walden, who plans to study law and aspires to be a lawyer, found this experience enriching. During the visit, the students had the opportunity to meet Magistrate Judge Kellie M. Barr who presented an overview of her job and the judicial branch and students could ask questions. “I think that the trip was able to show me the reality of ideas and topics that I’ve always seen as interesting,” Walden said. “Being able to pick her brain on ideas and concepts was something that I think all student that are studying the law should do.”

Other students who do not plan on going into law still found the experience worthwhile, “It was so fantastic seeing a woman with such poise and in a prestigious position like hers being willing to talk to some random high schoolers,” senior Florence Dim said.

For Martina Zuco, who is a foreign exchange student from Italy, she was able to gain more insight into the United States through this field trip “I love to experience new cultures, differences and traditions when I travel, and the government is a big part in the locals life so I like to see the differences and discover new things about it. Visiting the federal court for me was something that you do once in a life,” Zuco said.

Overall, this trip allowed for AP government students to gain more hands-on experience with the content they have learned as they recently went over the judicial branch. “A class like AP government and politics is heavily reliant on theoretical understanding of how things work, being able to see these concepts first hand greatly enhances our ability to understand theory and concepts,” Walden said. Students left the halls of the courthouse with a clear understanding of how the content they study in class operates in the real world.