Dear Educators,

Join us online for a professional development workshop on Seneca Village, the predominantly African American community that the city displaced in 1857 during the construction of Central Park.

In the morning session, we will learn about the archaeological investigation of Seneca Village and what the artifacts reveal about residents’ foodways and the environment of the Village. This session features a workshop led by Alice Baldwin Jones, adjunct assistant professor of anthropology at LaGuardia Community College and William Paterson University of New Jersey.

In the afternoon session, we will engage in a social justice pedagogy workshop that shares principles we can apply to teaching about New York’s African American communities, led by Ama Codjoe, consulting director of equity and inclusion at Bard Graduate Center. And to close the day, we will participate in an art-making session facilitated by Bard Graduate Center’s Lab for Teen Thinkers alumni.

This workshop is held in conjunction with the Lab for Teen Thinkers public humanities program and the Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History. Over the past thirty years, many scholars, students, and interested New Yorkers have worked to unearth the history of Seneca Village and the experiences of its residents from archives and artifacts. The Lab for Teen Thinkers builds upon that research and shares their insights with community audiences through digital exhibitions and walking tours.

Explore how object-based learning can engage young people to see deeply, think critically, and build freely! Educators of all disciplines teaching grades 7–12 are welcome!

This workshop is especially useful for educators teaching African American history, New York City history, biology, and urban archaeology.