Name: The Making of a President
Start: 2026-01-30T09:00:00-0500
End: 2026-01-30T16:30:00-0500
Location: George Washington's Mount Vernon

Registration Requirements

Who can register?

Teachers MUST teach in a formal K-12 classroom or school setting.
The program is limited to 40 teachers.
A waitlist will be available if registration meets full capacity.

Questions? Please contact gwti250@mountvernon.org

Schedule

8:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.	Check In
9 a.m.	Introduction Sheila & Maddie
9:15 a.m.	Presidential Leadership Jeremi Suri
10:15 a.m.	Break
10:30 a.m.	George Washington’s Leadership - Be Washington - From French & Indian War to the President’s office Maddie Sisson
12 p.m.	Lunch
1 p.m.	Exploration of Oval Office, Lady Bird Johnson’s Office, etc.
1:45 p.m.	Break
2 p.m.	Lyndon B. Johnson’s Leadership Mark Updegrove
3 p.m.	Break
3:15 p.m.	Workshop - How will you use this in your classroom? Teacher Facilitator
4 p.m.	Wrap up & next steps Maddie Sisson

*All meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be provided.

Meet the Scholars

Jeremi Suri

Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University's Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Professor Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on politics and foreign policy, most recently: Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include: The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office; Liberty’s Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; and Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Détente. His writings appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, Atlantic, Newsweek, Time, Wired, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other media. Professor Suri is a popular public lecturer and comments frequently on radio and television news. His writing and teaching have received numerous prizes, including the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas and the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. Professor Suri hosts a weekly podcast: “This is Democracy.” He publishes a daily newsletter on history, politics, and leadership: Democracy of Hope.

Meet the Educators

Maddie Sisson

Maddie Sisson is a museum educator with a passion for making history accessible for everyone. She received a Joint Bachelor’s Degree in History from William & Mary and the University of St. Andrews and her Masters in Teaching in Museum Education from George Washington University. She has served as Mount Vernon’s Lead Specialist for Family Learning from June of 2023 to July of 2025 when she became the Manager of Teacher Learning. When not at work, she can be found planning trips, exploring a new museum, or curled up with a book and her cat, Minerva.

Sheila Mehta

Sheila Mehta has spent her entire career in education. After almost 15 years as a high school social studies teacher, Sheila joined the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, having been the recipient of the educational resources and professional development offered by the LBJ Library for many years. In her role as education specialist, she supports a multitude of learning experiences for students, teachers, and the public.
Her academic background lies in US History, social studies, and the relationship between conflict and society with degrees from Northern Arizona University and the University of Exeter. Her passion for history and education complements the Library’s mission to be a “center for intellectual activity… while meeting the challenges of a changing world.”
When not working or nerding out on history, Sheila is an avid traveler and reader who enjoys cooking, spending time with her husband, Jarrod, and wrangling their 3 dogs: Sofie, Ruth, & Emmett.