Date & Time
This program is full and is no longer accepting applications. This unique traveling professional development seminar invites educators to step out of the classroom and onto the road, tracing the legacy of American presidents and the history that shaped their leadership. Beginning in Boston, participants will explore the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Massachusetts Historical Society, engaging with archives and exhibits that reveal how history is preserved and interpreted. From there, the journey continues to the Adams National Historical Park, birthplace of two U.S. presidents, offering insight into family, politics, and the nation’s early years.
Heading north, the motorcoach will visit the Calvin Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, a preserved 19th-century village that illustrates the quiet strength of America’s 30th president. Educators will then travel to New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce Homestead, where the life of the 14th president prompts reflection on leadership in divisive times. Crossing into New York, participants will stop at Grant’s Cottage, where Ulysses S. Grant completed his memoirs, and then explore Martin Van Buren’s Lindenwald estate in Kinderhook, delving into the complexities of early party politics.
The seminar concludes with two iconic presidential sites along the Hudson and Long Island Sound: the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Home and Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-Kill at Hyde Park, the first of its kind, and Sagamore Hill, the vibrant home of Theodore Roosevelt. Grant’s Tomb and National Memorial will complete the week’s historic tour. Along the way, workshops and discussions will help teachers translate these experiences into engaging classroom lessons, fostering deeper connections between history, leadership, and civic education.
Please note: Participants should be prepared to walk significant distances, including up to one mile at a time, as part of the program. Some historic sites and other locations included in the itinerary may not be fully ADA compliant due to the age of the buildings and may lack elevators or other accessibility features.
Speaker:
Arch Hunter, Public Historian and Retired Teacher
Teachers board a motorcoach for six days (Sunday – Friday) of visits to historic sites (such as national parks, state parks, and private sites) connected to a specific era of American history. Each travel seminar is escorted by a public historian whose lectures provide context for the historic sites to be visited. Local docents and guides provide breadth and depth in the historic stories they share. Local museums with subject appropriate materials are also included, many offering classroom resources for participating teachers.
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