Archive for the ‘George Washington Teachers' Institute’ Category

Friday marks the last day of Mount Vernon’s final George Washington Teachers’ Institute for summer 2010.

Throughout the week, teachers grades five through eight have gathered on the banks of the Potomac at George Washington’s estate, immersing themselves in the study and discussion of the founding father’s public and private life. The week’s 24 teachers, part of a larger cohort of 68 to pass through the institute this summer, will disperse to their respective states, taking Washington everywhere from Reno, Nev. to Ardmore, Okla.

With an estimated 349 years of teaching between them, this session’s carefully selected educators have gained a nuanced understanding of the nation’s first president. Click on the link below to see their week in photos.

Middle School Teachers’ Institute

Are you the type of history teacher that brings a glimmer of excitement to your students eyes when you say the words, “Revolutionary War”? Have you ever dressed up in historical costume in the classroom? Are fellow teachers always on the look out to see what exciting things you’re up to this week? Well then, pay attention: the Mount Vernon History Teacher of the Year Award is now open to applicants! This award is open to any history teacher that resides in Virginia, Maryland, or D.C. and would like to win a $5,000 cash prize, an all expenses-paid field trip to Mount Vernon, and an invitation to join us at the 2011 George Washington Teachers’ Institute. One runner-up will receive an all expenses-paid field trips to Mount Vernon. More information on applying can be found on our website. Applications are due May 21st.

You are sitting comfortably on the wide Piazza at Mount Vernon, watching the sun set on the Potomac River. A soft breeze washes over you as you chat leisurely with the teacher on your right. An interesting woman who has the most creative way of teaching about Martha Washington that you have ever heard- you have already exchanged email addresses and look forward to sharing ideas in the future. As you take a sip of the cool white wine and appreciate the evening, Cokie Roberts, sitting in the chair on your left, shares a fascinating tidbit of information about Martha that she is planning to include in her next book. A waiter glides up to offer you another mini-crab cake- yum! As the conversation continues around you, you think back to the busy week you are having at the George Washington Teachers’ Institute. You are a little tired from waking up early to watch the sun rise above the Wharf, but the workshops and lectures kept you engaged throughout the day. Who knew that the author of that book about the Revolutionary War that you just read would be one of your lecturers? You even bought another copy of the book just to have him sign it. Living on the grounds of Mount Vernon makes you feel like one of the thousands of visitors that the Washingtons would hospitably welcome. While you miss your family, it will be very hard to leave this lovely experience behind.

Sound dreamy? Apply for the George Washington Teachers Institute this summer on our website.

Image by L. Toshio Kishiyama.

For the first time, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will hold a Summer Institute for Teachers at Mount Vernon this year. Apply now for George Washington and the American Revolution, which will be held from June 27 – July 3, 2010. Andrew Robertson, Professor of History, Lehman College, The City University of New York is the director of this exploration of the American Revolution as two different historical events. One was the War for Independence, 1775-1783, that began with Lexington and Concord and concluded with the Treaty of Paris and the evacuation of the British from New York. The “other” American Revolution occurred in the hearts and minds of the American people.

This revolution began in the pamphlets and protests of the 1760s, continued in the Continental Congress, and helped inspire new institutions that emerged after the War for Independence: the abolition of slavery in the North, expanded public roles for women, and the separation of church and state. Both revolutions had global historical significance. George Washington was the pivotal figure in the War for Independence but he played an important role in the second revolution as well. Washington was a representative Virginia planter at the outset of the Revolutionary War. By the time the war concluded, Washington’s ideas about slavery, race, and republican government had been transformed. His leadership after the Revolution helped insure the conservation of both American Revolutions. Teachers accepted into the program will live on Washington’s estate and enjoy unprecedented access to Mount Vernon. More information and an application are available here.