Each spring, more than 20 IUSD high schoolers hop on a Sacramento-bound plane for a series of rapid-fire discussions with state lawmakers, lobbyists and consultants. The annual trek to the Capitol is organized by local parents in conjunction with the Irvine Unified Council PTA and the district, and its purpose is twofold: Policymakers get a brief lesson on how their decisions are impacting schools, and Irvine students learn how those decisions are made in the first place. It’s a jam-packed day of travel and talks, and legislators are generally willing to engage in some pretty intense dialogs. Fortunately, our local high-schoolers don't seem too jaded upon their return to Southern California. The Orange County Register has published a nicely written story about the 2012 Sacramento trip by Irvine High School junior Katherine Carr, who has been prolific in her coverage of IUSD of late. Click on the link above to check it out. Katherine also submitted stories to the Register about a benefit concert staged by Irvine High’s Students for Social Responsibility club and a new exhibit at The Irvine Museum.