Evaluations of 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2011 Rochester Reform Trail NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops:
Session 1: July 16-22, 2017
Session 2: July 23-29, 2017
Director: Jose R. Torre
Excerpts from anonymous reviews of the Rochester Reform Trail Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops solicited by the NEH:
▼2016 Evaluations
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"The experience was everything I hoped for and then some. The program helped to draw connections between many of the important ideas, concepts and people I teach about. I also have fresh ideas and resources to bring back to my colleagues and students to enhance teaching and learning for all."
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"The director did a wonderful job organizing the program. Everything from the organization of the program, the speakers invited to participate, the field trips and even the meals were well thought–out, planned and coordinated. Each visiting faculty member was engaging as a speaker and as an academic historian. It was wonderful to be able to meet, interact with and network with teachers from around the country who share a similar passion for teaching and for the Reform Trail content."
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"I had an amazing experience! When teaching about movements in the future, I can share my experiences about visiting the homes of Anthony and Stanton with my students. I can also show how the abolitionist movement and the women's rights movements interconnected, and how they are related to the north."
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"This program was eye opening for me. I learned so much about the role of Rochester and the contributions of central New Yorkers to the reform process. I will use all the information I learned in my teaching. This will change the way I teach abolition, women's rights and temperance. It will engage my students in the learning of these topics much more and will help to interest them in the area where they live."
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"The director could not have been more professional and well organized. He did an excellent in getting wonderful scholars to share their knowledge with us. The trips were perfect in length and scope and added so much to our learning. The topics were all relevant to our state curriculums and the discussions were deep and thought provoking."
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"The director and visiting faculty were extremely knowledgeable and delivered the information with ease and kept us engaged. They were open and welcomed questions in the group settings as well as individually. The topics coincided with the assigned readings that furthered the connections to the lectures and discussions. The topics of the workshop were relevant, fascinating, and provided great discussions during and after the lectures."
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"Being my first NEH workshop, I could not be more pleased with my experience. This was a fantastic week! I learned so much about a topic that I knew very little about. I teach some Frederick Douglass in my English classroom, but now I have a much deeper understanding of him and of his connection to the women's rights movement. I am going to be able to use the speeches and ideas of all of the reformers in a much more complete way in my English classroom."
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"The director was extremely organized and provided everything we needed to have a great time. The visiting faculty was knowledgeable and entertaining. They answered any questions we had. Everything was perfect–director, faculty, colleagues, organization, discussions and activities. This is the 4th NEH Landmark that I have attended and it was absolutely the best one that I have been to."
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"Director – – Dr. Torre is the perfect host; approachable and understanding – would have liked to have him as a professor. He gives you his thesis and his historiography but will let you disagree. The university professors were from regional colleges and outstanding. We had lecture, followed by a seminar or a themed discussion. Everything made sense, we learned about the topic before and then went to see the site and knew about what we were examining. I can't say enough of how this will change my teaching about the topic of REFORM."
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"I can't thank Dr. Torre enough about enlightening my to women's rights, abolition and the Erie Canal. My students will be the beneficiary of this knowledge and Rochester will be one of my new focal points. Wow! There were so many, and they were excellent! For example, to be in Susan B. Anthony's house and to be able to visualize the work she and so many others did made concrete with what had previously been abstract. The workshop was logically designed around the landmarks so that the lectures segued flawlessly into the landmark exploration."
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"Overall, the Rochester Reform Trail Landmarks Workshop was outstanding. The week was rich in highly engaging lectures and experiences about the people and events of the Reform Era. It has given me so many resources and ideas to go beyond enhancing what I already teach. With the information I gained, I hope to redesign several units in my existing curriculum putting Rochester and it's citizen–activists at the center of the unit to demonstrate changes in democracy, U. S. economic development, religious and social reform, attitudes towards abolition and westward expansion."
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"The landmark sites we visited in this workshop were highly effective in demonstrating the significance of the people and events of Rochester Reform. Seeing the Genesee River, High Falls and the Erie Canal drove home the impact of both the geographic feature and the subsequent manmade feature on the lives of the local people and the shaping of several national movements. The visits to the Wesleyan Church and the homes of E. C. Stanton and S. B. Anthony added remarkable depth to my understanding of who these women were, and their deep commitment and connections to other reformers. Despite the fact that there was only his grave to visit, Frederick Douglass's connection to the homes was very emphasized at these sites as well. It was chilling (in a good way) to literally touch the places that these amazing people touched. The Erie Canal tour showed the immensity and importance of this project in the 1800's and the reasons for its short usefulness. The Mt. Hope Cemetery Tour was fascinating as a look at not only the historical individuals but also the local culture of the era. All of the guides on the tours were exceedingly knowledgeable and engaging in their "story telling." "
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"Dr. Torre is an outstanding educator with a very engaging lecture style in which he invites discussion and questioning. He is clearly passionate about his studies and was always ready to provide more details and more food–for–thought to the NEH scholars. I thought he did an excellent job of organizing a program that built on itself throughout the week. The visiting faculty were all highly engaging as well and made strong connections to what we had already learned and what we had yet to learn. Each contributor seemed to know the entire scope and sequence of the week so that their contributions flowed together. I appreciated the daily lecture and Q and A sessions in the mornings followed by the afternoon field trips. It was a great balance of information interspersed with experiences that I think promoted greater inquiry and on–topic discussion between participants thus resulting in a very high level of learning in a short period of time. It was a wonderful experience! The visiting professors were so knowledgeable and great at answering our questions. I feel like a lot of the information could be translated directly into my classroom. Fantastic! We covered the variety of reform movements that occurred in Rochester and influenced our nation. My school was actively considering dropping Women's suffrage from our curriculum – no more after this."
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"I am currently working on lesson plans where 6th graders will use original documents (modified) to look at both Abolitionism and Suffrage. This was probably one of the best institutes of its kind (of any kind) in which I have participated. It was well–run and thought out and proceeded in a logical, building fashion. I will be utilizing all information in my work with the state's social studies teachers."
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"The whole experience I had with NEH's Rochester Reform Trail was amazing. It truly exceeded my expectations and provided me with an incredible week of learning, travel and making connections with other teachers from all over the country. I look forward in my work with homeschoolers to share the information I learned when they are studying American history. I also plan on encouraging the families I work with to visit local landmarks and make more use of primary sources."
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"Joe Torre was a wonderful director. He was friendly, organized, helpful, fun and a great leader. Each of the visiting lecturers he arranged to have speak to us were so knowledgeable in their specific field which brought so much depth to our learning. At the end of each morning, Joe and the visiting professor had a dialogue about the topic, along with discussion from our group. The last morning, meeting with our grade levels to discuss ways to use what we had learned in our classrooms was very helpful. I appreciated all the readings we were given ahead of time. That made the learning come alive. Thank you for sending the readings and the book to us before we arrived!"
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"This institute definitely emphasized depth over breadth and I so appreciated that as a teacher of high school AP history. So often at these week long institutes I find myself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material that I find almost impossible to figure out what to do with since it is a topic that I'm only able to spend about 30 minutes on in a class period and I just received 75 hours of instruction on it. This seminar examines its topic deeply and from a variety of perspectives and it was done purposefully and masterfully. This variety of perspective and various (and often conflicting) historiography is also incredibly valuable as an AP History instructor. This workshop was fabulous. I was so pleased to learn that it has been funded again next year –– I can't wait to tell my colleagues and friends to apply! As an English teacher, I was happy to hear so many wonderful stories about Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (and others). I was also happy that we worked with primary documents –– I am most definitely going to use these in my classroom this year."
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"This was the best NEH workshop I've attended, and all three NEH workshops I have attended have been awesome. What I liked about the Rochester Reform Trail workshop was the depth of the experience: We focused on one time period and several interrelated movements, and we learned about the topic from a variety of angles. The director, Jose Torres, is knowledgeable and has done an excellent job organizing the week: Each new lecturer or experience ("field trip") added a new layer of understanding to the fundamentals that we were introduced to at the beginning of the week by Jose and through our readings. The lecturers and docents he's gathered are passionate and skilled presenters. I had this great sense that every moment of the workshop was valuable, but the pacing was never frenetic; in other words, there was time throughout the week to let the information sink in. I think this experience will help round out the way I teach the abolitionist movement, women's suffrage and other shifts and reforms of the 19th century. I know more about the key players in these movements now, and I know much more about their relationships with each other as well as the "minor characters" who supported, inspired or challenged them. Knowing more about these historical figures and events will help me communicate to my students more clearly about the transformations that happened in the 19th (and early 20th) century. I also know more about what I don't know. I thought I knew more about Calvinism then I do, apparently, for instance, so this workshop has given me a to–do list of books I must read, topics I must research and questions I must ask in order to go to the next level of understanding."
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"Excellent – truly transformative. I understand antebellum reform in a whole new way. I can give my students a much better big picture understanding, including the relationships between movements and activists."
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"Superb! The workshop exceeded my expectations. I am anxious to return to my home state and have my students research, in our own state/town, the role of women in the fight for women's and slaves' rights. Joe Torre was amazing. Not only was his depth of knowledge deep, but he really showed his humanity in both the lectures as well as with the participants. I think he really MADE the work shop––his enthusiasm and good nature made it easy to wake up every morning and be excited to see him! The chosen presenters and field trip "leaders" were fabulous. The lectures in the morning and then the field trips in the afternoons were a perfect combination. Don't change anything!"
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"Joe Torre created an engaging, thought–provoking experience with the Rochester Reform Trail. The speakers were extremely intelligent and passionate about their subject matter, each with a differing perspective of the reform taking place in Rochester in the 1800s. We NEH scholars participated in collegial discussions with the speakers and Joe Torre. Because of this workshop, I now have a much richer understanding of the history of Rochester and its people that I will be able to draw upon in my teaching. Also, I acquired many new ideas and resources to use in planning my lessons. I can't wait to take my second–graders on a trip on the Erie Canal!"
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"Joe Torre was a thoughtful, personable, and well–organized leader. His friendly manner created an atmosphere of respect and collaboration among the NEH scholars. His assistant, Stephanie Pawlicki, also added her personal charm and insights to our experience. Each visiting faculty member (Dr. Erik Seeman, Dr. Richard Newman, Dr. Carol Faulkner and Dr. Alison Parker) was well–prepared and enthusiastically led us in scholarly discussion. Each daily topic added a new layer to our understanding of Rochester reform in the 1800s.The NEH scholars chosen to participate were a friendly and diverse group from around the country. We worked well together and I enjoyed meeting so many interesting people and debating new thoughts and ideas. We talked history at breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"
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"My experience was terrific! The site visits and guest lectures were phenomenal, and I will be integrating a lot of what I learned into my 11th grade American Studies classes. I left with a much deeper understanding of the religious reform, abolition, women's rights movements. This is exactly why I signed up for the course. Overall, I would rate my experience a 10/10. Perfect! Prior to our arrival we were given excellent resources to prepare us for the seminar. The format of the information and discussion in the morning and visiting the site in the afternoon was great. Dr. Torre was always there to answer questions and provide the opportunity for us to explore and make the connections for ourselves. He gave us the opportunity to explore and that will enhance my own teaching of American Literature. Making those historical links will give my students a deeper understanding of the impact of history has on literature – especially being able to visit Seneca Falls and know that Frederick Douglass was there (I was in the same room he had been in – very powerful). I have a deeper understanding of the impact of "place" after visiting the Erie Canal and Seneca Falls . I really did not know the importance of the canal and how that really moved this country forward. All of that impacts literature. This provided me with a "hands-on" experience. I took pictures and will be able to share this with my students. Since I teach on–line and teach students from all over the world, this will provide invaluable information. I know students can access pictures of these places for themselves, but they can't access the passion I will convey when I teach about Frederick Douglas or Susan B. Anthony. They will get that excitement from me because I experienced the "place" and hopefully that will enhance their learning experience. My teaching manager has asked me to provide a Professional Development session on the seminar and on NEH. She could hear in my voice how excited I was about the information and the importance of the work that NEH is doing. I am delighted to share with my colleagues and invite them to apply next year. I teach at an online school and each of us are teach from home, so my colleagues live all over the United States. I can't wait to share the information I learned and show them the magnificent opportunities NEH offers! Very exciting!"
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"This was an AMAZING experience that was conducted with the utmost professionalism. I cannot begin to explain the invaluable asset this experience will be to my teaching this period of American history in my future classes. This program was well thought out and well executed by consummate professionals that really knew what they were doing. The organization of major topics along the lines of different perspectives caters perfectly to the type of critical thinking strategies teachers are expected to be using in their classrooms today. I am grateful for the director and his staff for putting together such a great experience."
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"This was a great workshop. I can't say enough about how grateful I am for this professional development opportunity. This NEH workshop was well designed and had a great balance of academics and site visits. After this week, I was enabled to apply what I learned immediately to my lessons and units. This was the best PD experience of my teaching career. Thank you! I hope NEH continues to offer this workshop to other educators in the future."
►2014 Evaluations
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"Wonderful experience, memorable professional development. I really enjoyed meeting other educators from around the nation and connecting our pedagogical ideas together. I anticipate incorporating my hands on experience with a multidisciplinary approach, my students will connect American History with Architecture style, by researching the connections the Rochester reform Act has with our present day civil rights."
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"Joe Torre was an outstanding program director. The visiting faculty were all fantastic and the topics were extremely relevant and meaningful to my teaching."
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"Wow, this workshop was everything I had hoped for. First, the readings were focused and engaging. Second, the speakers, including Joe himself, showed enthusiasm for their subjects as well as for sharing their knowledge with us. Honestly, I can't think of an educational seminar I have attended that had such a high level of quality. These people enjoyed what they shared with us and got us all excited about the information and its analysis. Third, the field trips allowed us to engage with the history and the place– Rochester and its surrounding area– that gave rise to this history. I stood by Frederick Douglass's gravesite. I saw how close it is to Susan B. Anthony's. This physical closeness told me how very important Rochester itself is to our country's history since it has buried in its ground two prime movers in two of the most important social justice movements of the 19th century. I plan to bring my pictures, my notes, and parts of the readings to share with my students in a reshaped unit on Frederick Douglass."
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"I give this workshop a 10 out of 10! The format was excellent, and I will bring much of what I learned here back to my classroom."
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"This is my first NEH workshop, and it couldn't have gone smoother or been better planned. From the thoughtful discussions, to the dynamic guest speakers, to the awesome field activities, this workshop has inspired me like no other. Joe Torre, as director, was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, friendly, approachable and he set the scholarly tone right away. I thoroughly enjoyed my week."
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"The experience I had on the "Rochester Reform Trail" was wonderful on many levels. Having taught for as many years as I have (36), I realize that there is much to be gained from both the classroom interaction and in the professional interaction between educators that happens before, during and after the class. Networking with other educators is always a revitalizing experience and the chance to view historical landmarks is always a plus. The chance to talk about history all day long with no one's eyes glazing over is a dream for a history–geek like me! Joe was a great instructor, the speakers interesting and knowledgeable, and the site visits were a treat. For me the highlight was the Erie Canal boat trip and that is the one I will expect to bring into my classroom in the most active of ways. The other strands will be worked in during the Civil War– Frederick Douglass, and the Constitution– Susan and Elizabeth and Seneca Falls."
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"Every single person involved (Joe Torre, his assistant Ricky, all of the visiting professors, the cadre of volunteer speakers– even the staff at the Strong and the bus drivers) were terrific. It is rare that I have felt so treated like a professional in ANY educational setting. We were challenged, we were encouraged to explore, ask questions, probe and offer our own insights. It was fabulous."
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"I cannot say enough about this course. I attend some sort of summer course every year, some NEH, some offered from other vendors– all have been good, but this course was above the rest for so many reasons. At the heart of those reasons is Joe Torre who is so clearly passionate about his work and his city and who treated us like colleagues. Thank you very much."
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"It really was a perfect week. I loved being at the Strong; it was great to explore Rochester and its environs; Dr. Torre and his assistant could not have been more helpful; and the field trips were terrific. A+++ all around."
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"I loved this workshop!!! I look forward to carrying a deeper understanding of the importance of the Erie Canal on reform in Western, NY during the mid to late 1800s back to my students in AP US History. This workshop has re–energized my teaching and encouraged me to look more into including additional primary sources and the experience of "historical space and place" in my teaching."
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"The director, Joe Torre, was outstanding. He has designed a great program that combines quality historical sites with Strong lecturers and presenters. Joe created a very positive and collegial atmosphere among the participants."
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"The Hotel was a great facility and many staff were friendly. It was a well balanced seminar because lecture was combined with field trips. The teachers made it a truly great experience as they always do. Joe also brought in a variety of professors to discuss the information."
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"I thought the Hyatt was great and the Strong was a convenient and interesting place to hold classes."
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" Mr. Joe Torre was top–notch! Prior to the workshop he provided us with reading material to help us prepare for the discussions and lectures. He helped us make arrangements to find roommates and was always willing to answer any questions about the upcoming workshop. He also sent us supplementary readings to help us be even better prepared for the week. He did a great job leading the discussions after each morning lecture.
I feel honored to have been able to learn from such distinguished scholars. The lecturers were well–chosen and all of them helped us better understand Rochester's role in reforming America.
I enjoyed learning with my colleagues during the day and then discussing the topics again each evening. The group functioned extremely well.
The lectures, discussions and visits to the landmarks all contributed to this having been an awesome week. "
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"The hotel and the Strong National Museum of Play were wonderful facilities to host our workshop. Excellent choices!"
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"I am still processing the layers of impact from the week, for there were more than I anticipated. I experienced both professional and personal growth, and enjoyed the camaraderie of a group of dedicated and fun professionals who still care about learning and kids. I feel very privileged to have had Dr. Torre lead us. He opened my mind to new areas of engaging thought and reflection, and yet created a safe space to question, and paced the week in a very humane and enjoyable way."
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"I was impressed with the director. He was a passionate, engaging leader and facilitated the week with a pleasant accessibility that made him and the topic at hand accessible to me. He was organized and thoughtful about our various needs to learn and process, as well as to eat, talk together and take breaks. I would be highly likely to participate in another NEH Workshop if he were the leader. He paced the schedule well and granted us the space to make it meaningful for ourselves. Our assistant, Ricky, was also a good partner in the week and helped things run smoothly. So, because of Dr. Torre, this week was well organized, we had good discussions, made great connections between historic events as well as between colleagues and the activities contributed to deeper understanding."
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"We were housed at the Hyatt–Rochester. It was a clean, comfortable room at a great price. It was easy to access food for any meal that was not provided by the workshop. It was easy to get to the meeting location by bus or on foot.
The meeting rooms in the Strong Museum were comfortable and private, with interesting and easy local access to restaurants as needed. It was engaging to be meeting in this museum, knowing so much was going on in the museum that also promoted learning and growth. Bus rides were always on time and comfortable. There was room to sit alone, if needed, or with new friends. I also appreciated air conditioning."
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"The director was amazing– truly a great teacher and discussion facilitator. He did a wonderful job synthesizing, summarizing and reengaging the group after every guest lecturer. All of the visiting faculty were experts in the field and each had a different angle/approach to the topic. The trips were great and the majority of the colleagues/attendees of the program were engaged and excited to learn."
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"Professor Torre is a great thinker– he challenged participants to critically examine the relevancy of the reform movements of Rochester today. One of the best questions he asked us to ponder was whether it has been more difficult to challenge the patriarchal or racial dominance in our country. That had a very emotional and interesting reaction from the group and led to some very deep discussion."
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"AWESOME! These were the best accommodations I have experienced in three NEH studies."
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"The director was very knowledgeable and very engaging. He did a great job of keeping everything organized and on track. I have attended other Landmark workshops before, but this one was by far one of the best. I felt honored to have participated and our group bonded very well. I felt like everyone was able to contribute something and it was great getting to hear other's opinions. Most exciting was the new information that I learned and figuring out how to get that back to the classroom."
►2011 Evaluations
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"I loved this workshop! It helped to fill holes in my own understanding of the 19th century, and especially the 19th century reform movements."
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"This was a wonderful experience for which am very grateful to the NEH for sponsoring and our directors for planning. Thank you!! I believe the knowledge gained in Rochester will allow me to better teach my students about the exciting reform movements that happened here and how they impacted the rest of the country."
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"Overall, I thought the content of the program was great for its depth, use of sources, balance of lecture and discussion, and its relevance to classroom topics. I also thought the group overall was very collegial and enjoyable to be with."
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"This workshop was excellent. The balance between discussion, lecture, question and answer, and travel to historical sites really worked. I have picked up information which will strengthen the unit we teach on reforms."
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"This was one of the BEST NEH workshops that I've ever been to. Our group bonded very quickly and the overall organization of the workshop allowed for us to really think about how we would use the material in our classrooms. In my final essay for the workshop, I identified four major areas where I would be able to incorporate the information learned:
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The idea that reformers and famous individuals from history are "people too" and that their private lives had an impact on the work that they did,
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That the abolition, suffrage and temperance movements were very interconnected (which is different from how I teach it now),
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That reform in general can be linked not only to the other reform movements of the time, but to the transportation, communication and other industrial revolutions as well,
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Specific materials, primary source readings and "student friendly" fun facts that will help to draw students into the learning process and make the information more relevant for them."
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"Of the six NEH workshops I have participated in since 2003, this is one that I will always remember & will likely impact me & my teaching for the rest of my life. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to learn in such a wonderful atmosphere with directors who were genuine and really took the time to put together an excellent program."
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"What an incredible experience! It made me think about the reform movements from a new perspective and will make it much easier for me to teach this difficult time period."
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"The Hyatt Regency was a perfect location and an incredibly good room rate! It was located downtown so we could easily walk all around Rochester from there."
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"This has been the most incredible of the three NEH workshops I have done. I am so pleased with the amount of content and pedagogical knowledge I am walking away with from this workshop."
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"The impact of being at these various sites is just immeasurable to my teaching. When I can present my students pictures of these sites/ pictures of me at these sites, it really helps bring history alive for the students. Being inside the church where women first proposed the right to vote was emotional and something I will never forget. I felt the same way about being at Susan B. Anthony's house and her gravesite as well as that of Frederick Douglass."
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"The directors were amazing. The amount of work put into preparing was evident, and the schedule allowed for the perfect mix of lecture, discussion, site visits and casual time for further discussion with our colleagues. The visiting lecturers were informative and very helpful, as it seemed they were all very interested not only in sharing information with us, but in helping us make that information accessible to our students."
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"This seminar was even better than I imagined it would be. The questions provided by the leaders were provocative and the discussions they generated have given me an enhanced perspective on the period and its leading issues & figures. I am more determined than ever to provide tangible learning opportunities in the form of photos, artifacts & anecdotal details about leading figures' personal lives to bring them to life. I am also determined to include this period of reform in my curriculum, even if I have to get a little creative about how."
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"I cannot say enough about this workshop. Each event was well planned and flawlessly carried out. The directors provided meaningful background information prior to the workshop and a packet of related materials to use during the week. Topics were presented by the directors and visiting faculty. All presenters were knowledgeable and truly excited to be a part of this event. Discussions were focused, yet when a divergent topic arose, the directors let the participants bring it full circle. My colleagues were an interesting, diverse group that jelled the first night. We were fortunate to have three foreign educators in our group, and their perspectives added a global perspective to our discussions and site visits. All activities were relevant to the topics. Each afternoon, after morning presentations and discussion, we went on a related site visit, sometimes visiting more than one. I feel that the schedule we followed kept everyone involved and interested, and it also allowed us to develop relationships with colleagues that will continue."
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"The landmarks were beautifully interwoven through the week. The visits to the cemetery, Susan B. Anthony's home, Elizabeth Stanton's home, the church at Seneca Falls, the ballot box and other historic sites made history come alive for me. It made history seem more real to me and I think I am better equipped to teach students about the reforms in the 1800s as well as reforms taking place today."
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"I had not realized how important Rochester was to the reform movements. I really enjoyed being able to visit so many important places involved in the reform movement. I could not have received such a clear picture of how the different reform movement had I not traveled to Rochester to see the homes of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The trip down the Erie Canal was the highlight of my trip. Being there gave me great insight into the movements."
