Educational Programs and Exhibits

Educational Programs and Exhibits

Educational exhibits on display in the Capitol extension
Educational exhibits on display in the Capitol extension
This campaign will fund the development of programs and interactive experiences aimed at educating current and future generations on the ideals of liberty, representative government, and civic engagement. In addition, the projects will remind visitors of the pivotal role Virginia has played in the founding of America’s form of government. Focus areas will include significant milestones in Virginia history, representative government in action, and the compelling stories of influential, though often less celebrated, individuals.

Jefferson’s State Capitol and Poplar Forest Named as Sites On “U.S. Tentative World Heritage List”

The Virginia State Capitol, recently restored, and Poplar Forest, Jefferson’s rural retreat in Bedford County, are among 14 sites in the U.S. selected for inclusion on a new U.S. World Heritage Tentative List, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced earlier this year. Inclusion on the U.S. list is “the necessary first step” toward being considered for inscription on the United Nations World Heritage List, “the most prestigious international recognition accorded to properties of global importance,” Kempthorne said in his announcement.

Heritage List Press Release

 

Thomas Jefferson Statue

Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Liberty
Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Liberty

The Board of Trustees of the Virginia Capitol Foundation announced that the long-anticipated statue of Thomas Jefferson was dedicated on Friday, May 4, 2012. The Executive Committee of the 2007 Virginia Capitol Restoration and Extension Project charged the Virginia Capitol Foundation with the task of commissioning an original work of art representing Thomas Jefferson, the architect of the Virginia Capitol. Three distinguished Virginians – Tom Farrell, Bill Goodwin, Brent Halsey and their families – stepped forward to fund the project which has taken just over a year to complete. Ivan Schwartz, co-founder of StudioEIS, was tapped by the Foundation to create the original full-length bronze image. The statue, on permanent display in the Capitol Extension, serves as a guidepost, beckoning the more than 100,000 annual visitors to enter America’s first monument to democracy.

Read the full press release.
 

Keepers of the Flame available on YouTube

Capitol visitors can learn more about Virginia’s central role in American history, thanks to a film, Keepers of the Flame, produced by the Virginia Capitol Foundation with assistance from actor, filmmaker, and Virginia native Tim Reid. The 20-minute visually-interactive film is available in the Virginia Capitol Visitor Extension for viewing seven days a week during regular tour hours. For visitors that can not view the film at the Capitol, it is also presented below via YouTube.

Keepers of the Flame Activity BookA new Keepers of the Flame student activity book has been developed and is available for download. The film and Student Activity Book correlate with the 2008 History and Social Science Standards of Learning for Virginia Studies. The activity book was created by Tanya Siwik, a Fairfax County Public Schools teacher, in collaboration with Betsy Barton, Specialist for History and Social Science for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Education.

Download the new Activity Book here