This event has reached capacity. On Saturday, February 21, teachers are invited to join the special event “Cultivating a Nation: George Washington, Agriculture, and the 250th,” held in partnership with George Washington’s Mount Vernon and the Oklahoma History Center Learning and Engagement team. Speaker Virginia Conerly and Educator Carrie Fox will facilitate the professional development session, which will begin at 10 a.m. and run through 3:30 p.m.

This professional development program invites educators to dive into George Washington’s innovative approach to farming and explore why he transitioned from tobacco to wheat as the primary cash crop. Participants will examine Washington’s expansion of landholdings and the complex labor system at Mt. Vernon, including his evolving views on enslaved labor. Through hands-on activities, educators will discover how to integrate STEAM concepts into history instruction, making the past tangible and engaging for students. Participants will leave with ready-to-use classroom activities that bring Washington’s experiments, agricultural strategies, and historical decisions to life while promoting inquiry, critical thinking, and experiential learning.

The Oklahoma History Center Museum’s (OHCM) Learning and Engagement’s student and teacher educator Carrie Fox will share STEAM ideas that utilize the OHCM’s newly updated colonial education trunks, in addition to other relevant resources from the Oklahoma Historical Society. The OHCM’s Learning and Engagement Department have created over 27 free educational trunks are cross-curricular and standards-aligned.

Registration is full.