Thirty-one teaching scholars, along with faculty and staff from Catawba College's Ritchie Academy for Teaching, traveled to Savannah, Georgia January 17-20 and were amazed by the history and ecology of this Southern city and its coastal islands.

On the way to Savannah, they made a stop in Columbia, S.C., at the S.C. State Museum and witnessed in action a special limited showing of "Machines in Motion" — Leonardo da Vinci, where 40 hands-on-replicas demonstrated da Vinci's inventive genius for machines.

Following the call to service, by (then) President-elect Obama, the scholars took part in a service activity in Savannah on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, by collecting trash in the legendary historic Bonaventure Cemetery. The scholars took chartered trolley tours of Savannah by day and night, ate Sunday brunch at Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons restaurant, toured Ft. Pulaski National Monument and experienced an exciting and informative beach sand-sifting and aquarium visit at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.

The final day of their trip, the scholars visited the Savannah Arts Academy, the first dedicated performing and visual arts charter high school in Savannah, Ga., and were energized by the school's successful performance and by the Q & A session with SAA faculty.

Catawba students from the Ritchie Academy for Teaching who made the trip included Jessica Clark, Taylor Doss, Kelli Ferguson, Julie Gilley, Alanna Hantho, Bridgett Henderson, Stephanie Hill, William Howe, Olivia Jacobs, Samantha Lackey, Alecia Meeks, Preston Meikle, Brent Messenger, Sarah Moore, Sarah Morse, Elizabeth Petrey, Kaitlynn Pogue, Zach Poole, Stephanie Riddle, Laura Ritchie, Philip Russ, Veronica Sanders, Meredith Shultz, Elizabeth Sloop, Matthew Tamer, Hannah Thomas, Katie Walter and Amanda Watts.

Several students shared their thoughts on different aspects of their trip in the blogs listed below.

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BLOGS: Savannah, GA – History, Ecology, Education, and Fantastic Food! 

PHOTOS: West Teaching Scholars in Savannah, GA 

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