February 4, 2010
by Mount Vernon Education Department
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.
Category: George Washington Teachers' Institute
August 13, 2008
by Mount Vernon Education Department
The tenth year of George Washington Teachers’ Institutes has come to a close, and we are so sorry to see our teachers go! From a one week Institute for Mississippi teachers ten years ago, the George Washington Teachers’ Institutes have grown to four separate Institutes with teachers sponsored from 14 different states. This year, 84 teachers from Mississippi, Oklahoma, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Arkansas, Ohio, Florida, and Minnesota, were able to come to Mount Vernon and stay on the Estate grounds. The teachers listened to lectures by some of the best historians in the country, took behind-the-scenes tours of Mount Vernon Estate, went on field trips to Washington, DC or Philadelphia, and were able to cap off their evenings with sunset on George Washington’s own Piazza overlooking the Potomac River.
If you would like to view pictures from this year’s Teachers’ Institutes, or share your own photos that you took at the Institute, please go to www.flickr.com/photos/mountvernon.
Category: George Washington Teachers' Institute
August 6, 2008
by Mount Vernon Education Department
The George Washington Teachers’ Institute welcomes Mount Vernon area teachers to the Estate for two days of lectures, workshops, first person performances, and tours every July. The highlight of this year’s program was a discussion between Woody Holton, National Book Award winning author of Unruly Americans and the Origin of the Constitution, and Catherine Allgor, author of A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation, moderated by Emmy award winning journalist, Cokie Roberts. Director of Programs, Nancy Hayward, said, “We are dedicated to providing quality programs for our local teachers, and so we were delighted that over 200 teachers joined us for this special look at the role of the disenfranchised in the Constitution.” We would like to thank all the speakers who joined us for this event, as well as a special thanks to the First Federal Congress Project for co-sponsoring the program. This program is free to all teachers, and can be reserved by emailing education@mountvernon.org each June.
For the full 45 minute video, please email education@mountvernon.org for the YouTube link.
Category: George Washington Teachers' Institute, Professional Development, Teacher Opportunities
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.