After the viral imaginative educational endeavor in which a first-grade teacher, Mrs. Sonja White, transformed her classroom into a mock Southwest plane, complete with pretend passports and a carry-on bag for each student.
The heartwarming pretend trip to Mexico caught the attention of Southwest Airlines, leading to a beautiful field trip experience for the entire first-grade class at the Southwest Dallas Maintenance Hangar.
During the field trip, the students were warmly welcomed by enthusiastic Southwest Airlines employees and embarked on a fascinating tour of the hangar to gain insights into how airplanes operate.
Many of the young travelers, who had never been on an airplane before, had the unique opportunity to board a Southwest Boeing 737 MAX 8.
While onboard, they enjoyed snacks, listened to pilots sharing insights about aviation, and even took photos in front of the aircraft, with the added excitement of witnessing planes taking off.
The memorable day didn’t end there.
The Southwest Headquarters building hosted a surprise fiesta for the kids, complete with a mariachi band and Mexican food for lunch.
In a generous gesture, Southwest Airlines expressed gratitude for the support of the first-grade teachers and the school principal by gifting them two round-trip tickets each for anywhere the airline flies.
Southwest Airlines, in a news release, stated:
“Southwest is honored to have had the opportunity to create a unique aviation experience for the first-grade students, just as Mrs. White did for her class. Who knows… maybe there’s a future Southwest employee in this group of sweet kids!”
This heartwarming journey shows the positive impact of creative teaching methods.
