Headed for Hollywood; PT High class to take trip to film studios

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Twenty Port Townsend High School students are Hollywood bound for a school-sponsored trip to tour the entertainment industry mecca during Spring Break.

Classmates from the high school’s Advanced Media class will be able to tour numerous entertainment media studios and facilities, and even sit in as part of a live audience for the filming of hit TV shows such as “America’s Got Talent” or “The Voice.”

Port Townsend School District administrators unanimously voted to approve the Spring Break school trip Feb. 3.

Students will fly from the SeaTac Airport to Los Angeles the morning of April 4, returning April 7. Port Townsend High’s media teacher, David Egeler, will head the trip and lead the students around the entertainment capital of the world.

“This is a great opportunity for them to see [Hollywood]. Some of these students have never been outside the state of Washington,” Egeler said during the school board meeting.

Some of the school trip highlights include getting an educational VIP tour of Universal Studios, viewing Universal’s current film and TV production backlot sets, and visiting the California Institution of Arts.

Classmates will also visit Hollywood CPR, an accredited trade school for film stage crews created by Kevin Considine, whose father lives in Port Townsend.

Lastly, students will also have the opportunity to tour the Museum of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, which is the same institute that awards Oscars annually to some of the most talented actors and directors in film.

While visiting the beacons of the movie industry, students will get to visit many of the tourist attractions around Los Angeles, including hiking Mount Hollywood and eating at the famous In-N-Out Burger.

The trip comes with a hefty $25,000 price tag to pay for all attractions, lodging, and transportation, but the majority of funds were provided through grant applications, donations, and fundraising by students of the Advanced Media class.

“This is really an educational opportunity,” said Port Townsend High Principal Carrie Ehrhardt during the school board’s meeting last week. Between the $12,000 donation from Carl Perkins and the $6,000 in grant funds, the school is close to its final goal of $25,000.

“The $6,000 grant ensures that any of our low-income students will be able to go free of charge,” Ehrhardt added.

The Advanced Media students created and sold wall calendars with their photography to generate additional funds for the trip.

The coronavirus pandemic has and will continue to complicate the trip in some ways, but participating teachers and students will be tested for COVID every few days prior to the trip, and will be tested during the visit, as well. Also, classmates will practice social distancing, wear masks, and will have two students per hotel room to keep risks of COVID to a minimum.

“We’ve been bogged down with COVID and it’s been rough. I just want [students] to feel inspired and feel that these things are obtainable. There’s a world of opportunity for them to feel inspired,” Egeler said. “Seeing what the students get out of [the trip], that’s my reward.”

“This is super exciting; thank you for doing this for the students,” said Superintendent Linda Rosenbury

Port Townsend High School