Bill of Rights Institute Awarded NEH Grant to Hold Summer Workshops at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens

January 20, 2006

Arlington, VA – The Bill of Rights Institute announced that it received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) “Landmarks of American History and Culture” program to hold its Summer Workshop, Shaping the Constitution: A View from Mount Vernon 1783-1789. Co-sponsored with George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, and a part of NEH’s “We the People” initiative, the weeklong workshops will bring 150 elementary, middle, and high school educators from across the country together to interact with leading constitutional scholars to examine Mount Vernon as the intellectual crossroads for the discussions that led to the United States Constitution.

Each day of the workshop will highlight individuals who visited Mount Vernon during the 1780s. Lectures will focus on eight central themes of the Founding Era: republican government, equality, liberty, slavery, limited government, federalism, commerce, and freedom of religion. Examining these themes at the historical landmark where the Founders actually discussed them will enable teachers to gain a sense of the importance of this historical place, make connections between what they learn in the workshop and what they teach, and develop enhanced teaching materials for their classrooms.

Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops are offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities through its “We the People” initiative to provide the opportunity for K-12 educators to engage in intensive study and discussion of important topics in American history. "Amazing things happen when you bring teachers who love learning to historic places to work with some of the nation's finest scholars," said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole. "History becomes so much more than dates to memorize or pictures on a page; it takes on the sights, sounds, and images of what really happened. The experiences gained at these workshops will affect teachers for a lifetime and their students for years to come."

Shaping the Constitution: A View from Mount Vernon 1783-1789 will be offered to 50 teachers at three different times during the summer of 2006: June 19-23, July 17-21 and August 7-11. Teachers interested in applying should visit the Bill of Rights Institute Web site: www.BillofRightsInstitute.org/SI2006. Application deadline is March 15, 2006.