GSEHD Receives $2.4 Million Grant to Launch Forum on Democracy and Education
The goal of the initiative is to bring together educators, policymakers and scholars to strengthen democratic values in education.
May 2, 2026
George Washington’s Enlightenment: The First President as a Learner and Patron of Learning
Featuring Dr. Denver Brunsman, Associate Professor and Chair of the History Department, The George Washington University
November 11, 2025
George Washington is celebrated for many things, particularly his military and political leadership, but rarely his intellect. In this talk, Denver Brunsman, chair of the GW History Department and noted Washington scholar, will explore the first president’s commitment to educating not only himself but others.
Contrary to Washington’s reputation as a man of action over ideas, he was a dedicated lifelong learner who crafted his own Enlightenment. Washington amassed a library of over 1,200 titles by the end of his life, with concentrations in such “practical” subjects as horticulture, government, and military arts. At the same time, he sought to expand education in the early American republic out of a firm belief that broad learning provided the surest way to develop engaged citizen leaders.
Amidst our current crisis of democracy, Washington’s education ideals provide a model for renewing learning as a means to transform individual lives and contribute to the common good.
Introducing the Forum on Democracy and Education
March 28, 2025
The GW Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) and guests celebrated the launch of the Forum on Democracy and Education, a new initiative promoting the revival and reform of civic education. This project will foster partnerships with curriculum developers and educators, engage the public on the role of schools in advancing democratic pluralism, and explore how education can strengthen the public good.
The event included welcome remarks from Dr. Michael Feuer, former dean of GSEHD, and Kent McGuire of the Hewlitt Foundation. The first panel discussion, titled "Plans, Prospects, and Puzzles: Civic Education and American Democracy," featured Dr. Feuer as moderator, and three GSEHD faculty members: Dr. Joshua Glazer, Associate Professor of Education Policy; Dr. Ben Jacobs, Research Associate Professor of Experiential Jewish Education; and Dr. Susan Swayze, Associate Professor of Educational Research. The second panel session, titled "Beyond the Classroom: Expert Perspectives on Civic Education," featured Dr. Paul Goren, director of the Center for Education Efficacy, Excellence, and Equity (E4) at
Northwestern University, as moderator and panelists: Titilola Harley, Senior Program Officer for K-12 Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Michael McPherson, President Emeritus of the Spencer Foundation; and Vanessa Perry, Interim Dean of the GW School of Business. Audience Q&A followed.
