Q: Our school received the Celebration Kit but not the portrait. Is the portrait lost in the mail?
A: Probably not. The Celebration Kits ship separately from the portraits. In most cases, schools receive the kit before the portrait arrives. If you received a kit, rest assured that your portrait is likely on its way.
Q: My school ordered a portrait and we haven't received it. Where is it? When will it arrive?
A: As we have received many more requests than anticipated, and as each individual portrait is custom-made, it is taking longer than expected to fulfill your requests in the order in which they are received. This is because the company exclusively licensed to produce these custom portraits is only able to manufacture and ship a certain quantity of them each month. We apologize for these delays and assure you that, by all accounts, the portrait is well worth the wait! If your school does not receive its portrait by the end of the 2007-2008 school year, you can expect to receive it either over the summer or in the beginning of the first semester of the 2008-2009 school year. You should receive a letter from Mount Vernon acknowledging your request once it has been processed. Your understanding is greatly appreciated.
Q: What a great program! How is it funded? Can I help?
A: Thank you! Mount Vernon's education programs, including this portrait initiative, are made possible through our own fundraising efforts and private contributions from patriotic individuals and institutions across the nation. Mount Vernon does not receive or accept government funding of any sort. Your contribution of $275 will make it possible for a school to receive, at no charge, this beautiful portrait and the Celebration Kit. You can make your contribution by mailing it to Portrait in the Schools Project, Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, P.O. Box 240, Mount Vernon, VA 22121.
Q: Does the portrait come in a tube or roll, like a poster? What does it look like?
A: The portrait arrives framed in a 2 1/4" gilt-trimmed wooden molding and is therefore packed in a large, flat box, not rolled in a tube. It is not a poster, but a 30"x36" reproduction painting on canvas stretched over an inner wood frame. Please visit our Shops for a more detailed description of this stunning portrait!
Q: How many schools have portraits so far? Which schools? Where are they?
A: So far, about 4,500 schools across the country have requested portraits, and about half have received them. You can visit our interactive map to see these first 2,000 schools! This map will be updated as more portraits are mailed out.
Q: What's in the Celebration Kit?
A: Packed and shipped in an attractive, sturdy, four-color storage box, the kit contains an American flag that has been flown over Mount Vernon (certificate of authenticity included) and a colorful binder with elementary-level lessons, activities, and information about Washington and his era. For middle and high schools, there is also a CD-COM containing twelve detailed, cross-curricular lesson plans about Washington; many primary source documents relating to Washington and his times; images of Washington, including other influential portraits; and illustrated biographical information about Washington and his presidency.
Q: We just received the portrait and it's fabulous! How can we thank you?
A: We'd love for you to email photos and notes to us at celebration@mountvernon.org! Please indicate whether we have permission to publish your photos on our website for educational and promotional purposes. We also encourage you to visit our new and ever-expanding Teachers and Students website and George Washington Wired educators' blog and to help us improve our services to educators by sending us your comments and requests. We would like to ensure that our developing web resources are custom-tailored to teachers' needs, so please let us know what you want!
Q: What do schools think of their portraits and Celebration Kits?
A: Feedback from schools has been overwhelmingly positive! Please see our "Free Portrait Testimonials" page for just a small sampling of comments we've received.
Q: Do you have some kind of brochure about this program that I can provide to my principal?
A: To view a printable PDF announcement of this free portrait offer, please scroll to the bottom of this page and click to download the file.
Q: What can we do while we are waiting for the portrait to arrive?
A: Members of your school community may pass the time and familiarize themselves with the portrait through our online jigsaw puzzle interactive! Please note that you can adjust the number of pieces to control the puzzle's level of difficulty.
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