Harlem Teacher selected for traveling seminar

Heather Jorgenson, an English teacher at Harlem High School, has been selected to participate in four traveling seminars for teachers this summer. The first, offered by the Freedoms Foundation, takes place from July 2 – July 7. Participants will explore sites across the New England Colonies related to the American Revolution, including Fort Saratoga, Fort Ticonderoga, Concord, and Boston. The second seminar kicks off on July 10 and ends July 15. The institute takes place in Concord, MA where professors from the University of Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and Harvard will be focusing on the works of post-Civil War authors, such as Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott. Participants will have the opportunity to visit sites including Walden Pond, The Orchard House, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, while following in the footsteps of many literary greats. The third institute delves into the history of Plimoth-Patuxet area, centering on Indigenous and colonial perspectives and how those perspectives are taught in today's classrooms. Participants will join faculty from Brown University and members of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to visit dig sites, archives, and museums in Plymouth. The final institute, a two-week immersive study at Williamsburg, VA concentrates on helping teachers prepare for the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence by teaching the history and culture of early America with primary source documents and hands-on exploration of artifacts and historical sites. Only twenty-five teachers from across the nation were selected to participate in the seminar after "a highly competitive application process." All institutes are funded by scholarships that offset most of the cost associated with travel, in addition to providing participants with graduate credits after attending. Attendees are charged with the responsibility of taking their first-hand look at American history and infusing those experiences into their classroom lessons.