Eight Evansville Sixth-Graders Win Disney Trip
Joshua Academy students will travel to Walt Disney World in January 2027 on an all-expenses-paid trip sponsored with Cops Connecting with Kids.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Pre-Teens
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Joshua Academy Charter School will send eight sixth-grade students and two staff members to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on an all-expenses-paid trip scheduled for January 2027. The students were surprised with the news during a reveal held Tuesday at 1 p.m., and the trip is the school's first partnership with Cops Connecting with Kids in its more than 20-year history.
Why it matters
For Evansville families with sixth-graders at Joshua Academy, the trip is a no-cost opportunity tied to student achievement and relationship-building. The program is designed to strengthen ties between local police officers and the families they serve, with the goal of building trust through shared positive experiences.
Eight sixth-grade students and two school staff members will travel to Walt Disney World in January 2027. Evansville Police Department chaperones will join the group, and the trip is fully funded for the selected students.
The players
Joshua Academy Charter School
An Evansville charter school serving students in grades including sixth grade, operating for more than 20 years.
Cops Connecting with Kids
A program that pairs students with law enforcement through experiences designed to strengthen community relationships.
Evansville Police Department
The city's municipal police force, which provided chaperones for the surprise reveal and the upcoming trip.
The details
Joshua Academy hosted a surprise student reveal with Cops Connecting with Kids representatives and Evansville Police Department chaperones present. The eight selected students learned of the trip during the reveal, and their families were invited to attend. The Cops Connecting with Kids program is built around shared experiences that bring students and officers together outside the usual classroom setting.
Timeline
Tuesday at 1 p.m.: surprise student reveal held at Joshua Academy
January 2027: students and staff travel to Walt Disney World
The Home Front
Programs that pair youth with local police are part of a broader effort by Evansville-area institutions to build community ties at the neighborhood level. Trips like this one are typically funded through partner organizations rather than district budgets.
If your child is in sixth grade at Joshua Academy, check with the school about how the eight trip spots were chosen and whether any follow-up information is coming home. Families can also reach out to the school to ask about the January 2027 travel details.
The takeaway
Community programs that bring kids and police together can build trust over time, and families can ask their child's school how these opportunities are selected. Keep a note of the January 2027 travel timeframe if your child attends Joshua Academy.
Further reading
For more on raising children through these years, browse our Pre-Teens coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 14news.
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