Teaching George Washington Through Character Education and Literacy

Deana Mallory

Deana has been with Bennington Museum since 2005.  During her time at Bennington Museum, she has launched Museum ABCs for preschoolers and their adult companions, the Music at the Museum Concert Series, and, most recently, has overseen "Art Through New Eyes," a program designed to engage reluctant audiences with art. 

She loves sharing our community’s amazing stories with school-age learners, community members, and visitors from all over the world.

Deana holds a Bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a Master’s degree in education from St. Rose College in Albany, NY.  In her free time, Deana likes to garden and spend time with her husband and son.

Jonah Spivak

Jonah Spivak is the Communications Coordinator for the Town of Bennington and a local history buff. Jonah has been working on 250th-anniversary-related planning since 2017 and has lobbied for the creation of a VT 250th Anniversary Commission, which was established by Executive Order in 2020. Jonah was appointed by Governor Scott to serve as one of 14 commissioners to carry out this work.

He has served as chair of the VT 250 Education and Teacher Outreach Committee, and is one of the VT commissioners who attends the America250 States and Territories group. In 2022, he began a collaborative effort among Vermont and neighboring states, with 250th planners from NY, MA, CT, NH, RI, ME, and Canada, to share our interwoven stories. Jonah is chair of the Bennington County Regional 250th Planning Committee, which includes towns and villages throughout Bennington County and nearby New York.

Jonah began re-enacting to connect the public, especially youth, with history. He has worked with teachers at various grade levels to bring the lessons of history to life with a particular emphasis on connecting local history to build pride of place.

He serves as the Adjutant for a living history unit called Whitcomb’s Rangers and has participated in numerous living history events, as well as in-class presentations and lectures. Jonah has been a featured presenter at the Vermont Alliance of Social Studies conference in Burlington, discussing ways to include 250th anniversary themes in the classroom.

Katie Brownell

Katie Brownell is a twenty-year veteran fourth-grade ELA and Social Studies teacher in an integrated co-teaching classroom at Hoosick Falls Central School. Brownell has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education, and a Master's degree in Reading. 

She is also a registered yoga teacher who enjoys integrating mindful movement and social-emotional learning in the classroom. She is passionate about engaging elementary students with inquiry, hands-on learning, and place-based lessons. She believes that with quality instruction, students of all abilities can engage meaningfully with historical content. 

She serves as the secretary of the Friends of the Bennington Battlefield, is a member of the Hoosick History and Heritage Committee, and manages an 18th-century supply depot for the Living History Education Foundation. Each summer, she organizes a Living History Summer Institute and a fully immersive 18th-century encampment for upper elementary students who attend her school.