George Washington Portrait Project
Once, Washington’s portrait was a fixture in American schools. Hung with pride and respect, it inspired generations of American schoolchildren. Most of those portraits were distributed in 1932, the bicentennial of Washington’s birth. Seventy-five years later, they have all but disappeared. Worse, the decline of Washington’s portrait corresponds to a decline in the amount of textbook space dedicated to Washington and his many achievements.
Mount Vernon launched the George Washington Portrait Project in 2007 with the mission of returning Washington’s portrait to schools, driven by the belief that his renewed presence would inspire teachers and students alike. Each school who requests a portrait will receive Rembrandt Peale’s “porthole portrait” on canvas, set off by an elegant gold-leaf frame and a small bronze label plate. Each school also receives a Celebration Kit, which includes lesson plans, teacher resources and a flag that has flown over Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon's goal for this project is to provide a portrait and Celebration Kit for each and every school that requests one. Together, we can achieve this lofty goal. We are approaching some 5,000 requests from around the country.
A gift of $275 makes it possible for one school to receive, at no charge, a beautiful framed portrait and a Celebration Kit. You can make an undesignated donation, or you can request a specific school to receive a portrait by having their principal send a request letter in addition to your donation (see Example School Request Letter or Frequently Asked Questions).
A gift of $2,500 distributes 14 portraits and a gift of $5,000 delivers 28 portraits!
Please consider a donation to the George Washington Portrait Project today by filling out a Portrait Contribution Form. Like any gift to Mount Vernon, your donation can be made by check, credit card, or the transfer of securities. All gifts are tax-deductible under the limits allowed by law.
George Washington Biography Lesson
Since the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association launched a campaign to distribute the George Washington Biography Lesson to fifth grade teachers across the country, an astonishing 300,000 have been distributed to teachers of more than eight million children in all fifty states.
With such enthusiastic response you can understand that demand for the kits remains strong in schools that have never benefited from the thoughtfulness of a generous donor who made these tools possible. In 2009, we project that we will distribute a whopping 16,383 lessons to teachers in eleven states. At a total cost of over $120,000, this is a significant effort, and we could really use your help to make the project a success.
Over the years we have been able to keep printing and labor costs well within reason, but the postage increases have not been as simple to manage. Your additional contribution of $190, $380 or more would be a welcome boost and help us to distribute the lessons more efficiently and completely.
We also would like to offer you a special thank you gift that has just become available. The Mount Vernon staff has located a limited number of copies of a highly regarded compendium on George Washington. The Essential George Washington by Peter Hannaford contains 200 years of observations by notable Americans, including many of George Washington’s peers as well as modern day figures. Those who contribute a gift of $380 or more will receive a copy of this book.
Your gift of $380 will provide 1,000 copies of the George Washington Biography Lesson to fifth grade teachers across the nation!
To support Mount Vernon education programs, please call 703-799-8646.
