Carolina Elementary’s Ewing attends prestigious training program at President Washington’s Mount Vernon
MOUNT VERNON, VA – Christina Ewing, a school counselor at Carolina Elementary School, got a little closer to the nation’s first president recently when she traveled to George Washington’s Mount Vernon for a residential professional development program.
The program, which is called Leadership and Legacy: Lessons from George Washington, is hosted by the George Washington Teacher Institute. The professional development included an intensive study led by George Washington scholar and Associate Professor Dr. Denver Brunsman of The George Washington University. Ewing, who is also a National Board Certified Teacher, collaborated with Mount Vernon’s knowledgeable historians, curators and educators while on site.
“I was honored and thrilled to be chosen to attend the George Washington Teacher Institute’s Summer Residential Program,” Ewing said. “As an educator and a counselor I was excited to be selected from applicants all over the country to attend this residential program and a professional development of this caliber. I cannot wait to share the information I learned with my students, colleagues and fellow educators.”
In addition to studying the extraordinary leadership of George Washington on the battlefield and during the presidency, Ewing explored Washington’s story in his own words using primary sources as well as the landscape and buildings of the Mount Vernon estate. She received behind the scenes tours, special estate access and viewings of artifacts, historical documents and the mansion. Professional development sessions tackled the myths and complexities of Washington’s legacy to illustrate how his leadership continues to inspire and teach today’s students and educators about citizenship and service.
The residency program included a trip to Washington, D.C., to the Smithsonian Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery for a private tour focusing on the portraits of George Washington and other United States presidents.
Institute participants from around the country included K-12 teachers, librarians and media specialists who were hand-selected by the George Washington Teacher Institute in a competitive application process. Ewing earned awarded a full-scholarship and travel stipend to attend.
While at the Institute, Ewing lived on George Washington’s estate, within view of his mansion, and attended daily sessions in the 45,000-square-foot Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington.
Ewing will develop and conduct professional development workshops for her education community in order to share information from the Institute. She has already made presentations to the Henry Durant Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Bishopville and has been requested to present to an upstate Sons of the American Revolution chapter in the spring.
The George Washington Teacher Institute, founded in 1999, provides K-12 educators with professional development opportunities throughout the year through residential, online and regional programming, as well as Teacher Fellowships. Private funding supports full-scholarships for residential program participants, including a transportation stipend, to qualified educators from select states. For more information about the George Washington Teacher Institute, please visit www.MountVernon.org/Teachers.