I’m Leslie Greene Bowman, President of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. I’m pleased to welcome you to our blog, where you can get updates about an exciting new project that Monticello is undertaking in conjunction with the Journey Through Hallowed Ground.
We at Monticello are thrilled to participate in the project, ‘Of the Student, By the Student, For the Student .’ This program, which had its pilot debut last year at Harpers Ferry, is a whole new endeavor for us at Monticello, and is groundbreaking in many ways. First, it is one of the first service learning projects in the country that allows students to create interpretive materials for a World Heritage site. It is pioneering because students will use the digital media they love here at Monticello to create those interpretive materials. And, perhaps most importantly, it will actively engage students in an authentic experience of history, making it tangible and relevant — sparking a lifelong interest in history and preservation.
This week, the mountaintop will be filled with students from our partner in the Albemarle County district, Sutherland Middle School. Every sixth grade student who attends Sutherland will come to Monticello over the course of two days, and will participate in “immersion sessions” with Monticello staff, on four different subjects related to Thomas Jefferson and Monticello. The students will take that knowledge back to the classroom, where they will form ideas for their vodcast (video) projects. We at Monticello plan to be there to help every step of the way, and cannot wait to see the great ideas that come from the students!
With anticipation,
Leslie
