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Mrs. Rebecca Schmidt Attends George Washington Teacher Institute
Last summer, I was 1 out of 25 teachers from across the country chosen to partake in The Great Experiment: George Washington and the Founding of the U.S. Government, a competitive summer institute program put on by George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Over the course of 5 days, I attended lectures about George Washington and learned about the impact he had on the founding of our government, as well as his life as our nation’s first president. We also discussed the creation of the U.S. Constitution, Washington’s relationship with Native Americans, his views on slavery, the role of women during his time, and so much more.
Most of our lectures took place at the George Washington Presidential Library, which is home to an extensive research collection. We were even lucky enough to view some rare documents written by George Washington and his contemporaries.
We spent time touring Washington’s estate, including the Gristmill and Distillery, which is where I worked in 2016-2017! We also took a field trip to the Capitol building in Washington D.C. and explored downtown Alexandria.
Lastly, we met with various costumed interpreters representing important people from the Washingtons’ lives. This included Tobias Lear, his executive secretary, and Ona Judge, an enslaved woman assigned as Martha Washington’s personal maid.
This opportunity provided me with a wealth of information and many new resources that I have used throughout this past school year. It was a wonderful experience and I am hoping to return again.
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