Every year, the Dixon Chamber of Commerce organizes a fieldtrip and a contest for Madison students on the architectural tour of the Dixon Main Street area. This school year's fieldtrip was on Wednesday, October 25th, 2023.
Kim Bork, Madison Teacher: "Students tour the settler's cabin and old Fort Dixon on the North side of the river, watch a blacksmith demonstration provided by the John Deere Historic site, tour the Dixon Historic Theatre where we also learn about some of the history of Dixon area and the architecture of the historic buildings along 1st street. We then walk down main street to look at the buildings and identify the architectural structures and their purposes that were used in those historic buildings. This has been a terrific program that we have done for a number of years. It really helps to encourage pride in our town and where the kids come from. Many students are excited to learn about Dixon's rich history".
After the fieldtrip is finished, the students are then able to complete a project based on one of the historic buildings. This project culminates with a contest that is organized by the Dixon Chamber of Commerce. While these projects are optional for the majority of the students, it is a requirement for the accelerated class.
There are two options that the students can choose from. They can choose between creating a 2D model or a 3D model of one of the historic sites or buildings. These models must be completed within the one-month timeframe of the contest!
After time is up the judges go to Madison to the individual classrooms and they award prizes to the winners of the contest. Here is a list of the people who planned, organized, or participated in the fieldtrip or project judging:
Allen Hulstedt, Larson & Darby Group/Architecture Engineering Interiors
Dave Sheely - John Deere Historic Site - Blacksmith
Geoff Vanderlin - First Street Tour Guide
Jennifer Lang & Amber Schmidt - Dixon Chamber of Commerce
Jeremy Englund - The Dixon Historic Theatre
Jim Dixon - Homestead Lot
Rena Burgess - Lee Country Historical Society - Cabin
The awards were given out as follows:
Bentley Helfrich - Books of First - 1st Place
Cameron McKee - Wings of Peace - 2nd Place
Kael Meakins - Dixon Theatre - 3rd Place
Marquel Robinson - Dixon Arch - Honorable Mention
Dustin Jones - Fort Dixon Area - Best 2D
In the end, we here at Dixon Public Schools are always grateful for the contributions of everyone involved with this amazing program. This sense of community is what makes us who we are, tells us why we are here, and shows us where we are going.
