Evansville Students Selected for Disney World Trip

Evansville police and Cops Connecting with Kids announced the students chosen for a January 2027 trip to Disney World.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Family Travel

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a single paper airplane rising over a flat Midwestern horizon under a pale sky, evoking a youth travel trip. — Evansville police and Cops Connecting with Kids named the students chosen for a January 2027 Disney World trip, led by siblings Ar'Miah and Mark Shanklin. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Evansville police and Cops Connecting with Kids held the final reveal of the year for students selected for a Disney World trip set for January 2027. Ar'Miah Shanklin and Mark Shanklin are the first siblings selected to go.

Why it matters

The program aims to connect law enforcement with the community and show youth that officers believe in and support them. Its goal is for students to see officers as mentors and community partners.

The program has been running since 2014 and the trip is scheduled for January 2027. The extraction does not specify how many students were chosen or the cost of the trip.

The players

Cops Connecting with Kids

A program that connects law enforcement with local youth through trips and fundraising.

Liberty Federal Credit Union

A credit union that serves as a program partner and title sponsor.

Breeze Airways

A low-cost airline providing flights for the group's departure from Evansville Regional Airport.

The details

Each school decides which students go, and the program raises money year-round. West Side Nut Club and Liberty Federal Credit Union are program partners, with Liberty Federal also serving as title sponsor, and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation supports the effort. The group will fly out of Evansville Regional Airport on Breeze Airways for the first time.

2014: The Cops Connecting with Kids program started.
January 2027: The Disney World trip is scheduled.

Roadmap

Previous trips from this program departed from Nashville and Indianapolis airports. This trip marks the first time the group flies out of Evansville Regional Airport on Breeze Airways.

Families interested in similar youth programs can look to local school corporations and police community outreach offices for participation details. The flight from Evansville Regional Airport offers a nearby departure option for regional travelers.

The takeaway

Local youth programs that combine travel with mentorship can build lasting trust between students and officers. Families can look for similar community-based trip opportunities in their own area.