Archive for December, 2008

Applications for the George Washington Teachers’ Institute have just been posted on our website! The Teachers’ Institute gives teachers of all grades the opportunity to reside on the grounds of Mount Vernon and attend sessions by some of the best scholars in the nation. Participants are immersed in a full schedule of workshops and lectures by scholars such as Ira Berlin, Joseph Ellis, Woody Holton, David McCullough, and Cokie Roberts. Thanks to the unique nature of staying on the lovely grounds of Mount Vernon, participants have the opportunity to engage with our guest speakers at evening receptions, private luncheons at the Mount Vernon Inn, and field trips. Teachers’ Institute dates this year are:

June 22-26th Teachers, grades 5-8

July 13-16th Teachers, grades 3-5

July 20-24th Teachers, grades 9-12

August 3-7th Teachers, grades 8-12

The Teachers’ Institute is sponsored through private funding and is available for teachers in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Participants receive room, board, and a travel stipend. We hope to see you next summer!

We would just like to wish our loyal readers a happy holiday!

Photo by L. Toshio Kishiyama

In case our GWW readers did not see Sunday’s Washington Post article about George Washington’s horse, Blueskin, you can read the full article here. A Post reader wrote the Answer Man to ask: “There’s a stuffed horse at Mount Vernon, a really good-looking white horse that made me wonder: Where did they get the horse that supposedly looks so much like George Washington’s horse? Did they raise a horse and then kill it for the display or did they just wait for a matching horse to die? It didn’t look old, so could they have killed it just to stuff it?” In a brief answer, No, we did not kill any horses in the making of our Education Center. The article details the journey that Mount Vernon Education’s staff went on to find the perfect horse to portray Blueskin in the new Education Center. It is just one small example of the thought and care that went into each exhibit in the center. And in case you are wondering about the camel that the Answer Man mentions at the end of the article, he is alive and kicking on the grounds of Mount Vernon as we write. His name is Aladdin, and he is here to represent the camel that George Washington had brought to Mount Vernon as a Christmas treat for his household in 1787. Can you imagine waking up as a child on Christmas Day and seeing your very first camel at your own home!?! Aladdin will be here through Janurary 6th as part of Christmas at Mount Vernon.