Backgrounder/Fact Sheet

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership is a four -state, non-profit, organization dedicated to raising regional, national and international awareness of the unparalleled American heritage in the region, which generally follows the Old Carolina Road (Rt. 15/231) from Gettysburg, through Maryland, to Monticello in Albemarle County, VA. We accomplish this through creating educational leadership programs to increase civic engagement for students of every age and by creating heritage tourism programs for every citizen within, and visitor to, the region Where America Happened.

A poll was commissioned by the JTHG Partnership in May 2005, completed by the polling firm of record within Virginia, Mason Dixon Polling. 92 percent of voters responded that the educational outreach efforts of the JTHG were “very important”. The JTHG Partnership is working with leaders in the public and the private sector who share the vision of celebrating our heritage and educating residents and tourists of all ages.

Our mission is to encourage today’s students to step into tomorrow’s leadership roles, and to that end we seek to share with them the stories of leadership, famed and unknown, found within the Journey Through Hallowed Ground. In this uniquely historic region, we are fortunate to have many examples of leaders who were born and achieved greatness here. Lesser known are the many small stories of people who made difficult choices that helped incrementally shape our nation. Our education initiatives seek to help teachers utilize local historic sites when teaching national historic trends, and re-discover the wealth of educational resources in our own backyard. Teacher outreach and education is a critical component of this mission. Our student outreach initiatives continue the central themes of leadership and civic education, while adding another component: exploration. This is, after all, “Where America Happened” and where is continues to happen every day, and that is born out by the fact that there is so much for people of all ages to do here.

Our standing Education Committees, formed during our April 2006 Education Summit, are composed of the most talented education specialists this region has to offer, and they are instrumental in guiding and developing The Journey’s education initiatives. We are very proud to be joined on these committees by educators from historic sites like Monticello and Montpelier, from public school systems like Culpeper County and Albemarle County, and from national heritage organizations like the Civil War Preservation Trust and the National Park Service. The expertise of our committee members ensures that our programs are of the highest academic quality.

The development of a comprehensive educational program that integrates historic sites into school and teacher curricula will sow the seeds of knowledge and inspiration in generations to come. In 2006, the JTHG Partnership:

• Created a new Education web page, which offers useful tools for teachers, including lesson plans
• Developed Field Trip Guides for teachers to historic sites in the region
  Saw the Journey Through Hallowed Ground course for teachers at the Northern Virginia Community College fully enrolled for a second year in a row
• Developed a research based contest for the 2007-’08 academic year for middle school students, winners of which are awarded a week long all expenses paid trip along The Journey
• Expanded the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Extreme Summer Camp for middle school students, to be held for its second summer in 2007
• Held several teacher workshops, which counted toward teachers reaccreditation
• Hosted internships, held numerous class presentations, and been the subject of many class and individual projects and several graduate thesis’s

The Journey’s educational efforts have initially targeted communities across Northern Virginia, Western Maryland, and South Central Pennsylvania. Over time, the JTHG Partnership, with support from foundations and other partners, aims to reach broader audiences through national outreach and interactive on-line information technologies.

The Journey provides countless opportunities for field trips and hands-on learning opportunities, engendering broader family and community engagement that will further strengthen geographic literacy among residents and visitors alike.

 If you would like to have The Journey come to your school, or if you have any questions about our education programs, feel free to contact us at our main office, or via email at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .