Global Organizational Structure
Our Atlanta-based Upper and Lower Campuses are part of a larger global organizational structure that enables us to provide best-in-class experiences by coupling research and design with the ability to test theories and pedagogical methodologies in real-time, in both a learning-studio as well as a virtual setting. Our three distinct units work to fuel and sustain each other creating unique benefits and value for each member of our community.
Mount Vernon Organization Leadership
The Mount Vernon School
Flagship School
The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta, Georgia is a place where students have the agency to experiment with extraordinary ideas, fueled by their unique curiosities and guided by caring, skilled educators who have transformed the field of education through designing strategy, innovating programs & systems, and transforming teaching experiences. Mount Vernon students don’t have to wait for a better future; they are designing it right now.
look back to move forward
1972
- Founded by Polly Kemper
- Eight Preschool – Kindergarten classes started in the Sanctuary Building of the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church
1974
- Lower Campus Campus Footprint expanded into Education Building
1989
- Expanded to serve Preschool – Grade 8
1993
- Incorporated and granted 501 (c)(3) status
- Lower Campus Activities Building began construction
1997
- Celebrated 25th anniversary year
- Accredited by SACS
- Enrollment reached 500 students and 65 staff
1999
- “Building for the Future”, the first capital campaign added 14,500 square feet to the Activities Building
- Mount Vernon School became a member of AAAIS, GISA, and NAIS
2001
- Campus footprint grows to include Lower Campus field
2003
- Arrangements finalized with Tom and Lou Glenn for the Upper Campus 30-acre expansion and Upper School project announced
2004
- Inaugural ninth grade class welcomed
2006
- First building on Upper Campus opened
(the current Middle School building)
2008
- First senior class graduated
2010
- Inaugural Mustang Rally
2011
- Inspired by Stanford d.school, Mount Vernon embraced Design Thinking
- First Maker space opened named i.Design Lab
2012
- 40th Anniversary Celebration
- First Design Thinking Summit
- Launch of the strategic plan: (i)Plan17
- Instructional rounds and learning walks began
- Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation (MVIFI) created as The Mount Vernon School Organization’s R&D lab and transformation studio.
2013
- Faculty participated in Harvard Project Zero Training
- Research & Design Teams established
- Launch of MVXperts
- Iteration of norms, mindsets, mission, and principles becomes “The Continuum”
2014
- Innovation Diploma program began
- Plans for new Upper School building began
2019
- New Upper School Building opened
2020
- MVIFI rebranded as Mount Vernon Ventures
- Mount Vernon Ventures began partnership with The Dewey Schools in Vietnam
2021
- Enrollment surpassed 1200 students and 250 faculty
- Global Campus launched with Mount Vernon Online School (MVSO)
- Mount Vernon recognized as a 2021 Arts School Award Winner
- Mount Vernon recognized by The NAMM foundation in Best Communities for Music Education
2022
- Plans for developing 10 acres into athletic facilities began
- Mount Vernon’s new strategic plan, The Impact Ready Project, approved
- Mount Vernon listed as #8 in Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 50 Independent Schools in Atlanta
2024
- Two Lower School Teachers named in the 2024 Most Innovative Teachers by The Henry Ford Organization
- Mount Vernon maintained the #8 position in Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 50 Independent Schools in Atlanta
Mount Vernon Ventures
Transformational R+D
Through transformational research and design provided by Mount Vernon Ventures, the School has access to unique professional development experiences and the latest educational research, tools, and products creating a host of benefits for our students, faculty, staff, and the community at large. Among them are quarterly R&D reports. Exploring the drivers, signals, and trends affecting the education sector, Mount Vernon Ventures conducts extensive research, synthesizing ideas, identifying their implications, amplifying their potential, and providing recommendations to consider.
transformation needs a guide
Mount Vernon School Online
Global Campus
Serving families and students who require an alternative to traditional in-person school settings, Mount Vernon School Online (MVSO) delivers the same quality Upper School experience but in a virtual and asynchronous format. MVSO enables the School to expand its brand reach from a local to global scale while offering the same educational methodologies and curriculum for students and families all over the world.
designing a better world