Name: Plenary Session: National Gallery of Art - Honoring the Past, Designing the Future: Stories, Inquiry, and Possibility
Start: 2026-08-05T09:00:00-0400
End: 2026-08-05T10:15:00-0400

WISIT Summer Institute 2026

August 3 to 7, 2026
Washington International School, Tregaron Campus

Plenary Session: National Gallery of Art - Honoring the Past, Designing the Future: Stories, Inquiry, and Possibility

Wednesday August 5, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

National Gallery of Art - East Building

This plenary brings together Meghan Lally Keaton, Gerald D. Smith Jr., and Angels Natal Ascencio to explore how classrooms and museums are marking the 250th anniversary as spaces for reflection, inquiry, and possibility. Drawing on powerful examples from across the DC community, they will highlight how educators are using thinking routines to slow down, look closely, and engage learners in deep, meaningful encounters with objects, stories, and histories.

Together, they will consider what it means to approach the past with a critical and curious eye while holding an optimistic vision for the future. How can museum resources help us uncover layered narratives and expand whose stories are told? And how can our classrooms become places that not only honor the complexity of our shared history, but also reflect our highest ideals and hopes for what comes next? This conversation invites educators to see themselves as designers of learning experiences that bridge past and future—grounded in reflection, fueled by inquiry, and oriented toward a more thoughtful and just world.

Speakers

Gerald D Smith Jr.

Smithsonian

Gerald D. Smith Jr. is the former Principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, DC, where he led with a focus on equity, innovation, and community partnerships. Currently he is the Lead Education Specialist for Youth Development Programs at the Smithsonian Institution... Read More →

Àngels Natal-Asensio

Oakton High School

Àngels Natal-Asensio is a Spanish instructor and World Languages Department Chair at Oakton High School. Previously she taught English and German in her native Barcelona, where she started integrating Project Zero thinking routines along with art in the teaching of world languages... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
National Gallery of Art - East Building

Plenary Session

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WISIT Summer Institute 2026

Gerald D Smith Jr.

Àngels Natal-Asensio

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WISIT Summer Institute 2026

Gerald D Smith Jr.

Àngels Natal-Asensio

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