Description
This NEH Landmarks of American History teacher workshop will help K-12 teachers present the elusive subject of the Underground Railroad with more facts and better historical context. Christiana , Pennsylvania was the site of an 1851 “riot” that resulted in the death of a slaveholder who was seeking his runaway slaves. Harpers Ferry was the location of John Brown's 1859 “raid” against the federal arsenal in western Virginia. Neither incident typically enters most classroom discussions about the Underground Railroad, yet both had important connections to fugitive slaves and what was arguably the nation's most active and organized antebellum Underground Railroad network, the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee. Located at Dickinson College which is situated about ninety minutes from each site and within a region that was dominated by this vigilance movement, our Landmarks workshop will help teachers see how Christiana and Harpers Ferry can begin unlocking a more sophisticated portrayal of how the Underground Railroad really operated in northern states such as Pennsylvania.(map) Participants will combine intensive field work with careful study of online documents to help them develop a range of tools that will enable their students to more effectively understand the Underground Railroad and to situate the network within the larger story of the coming Civil War (read more)

Travel

Arrival:  You should plan on arriving on Sunday afternoon or early evening on the day before your workshop begins. Check in (at Morgan dormitory) begins at 12pm and ends by 6pm.  PLEASE DO NOT PLAN ON ARRIVING ON MONDAY MORNING.  We will begin at 9AM on Monday and those who arrive late will lose part of their stipend payment.

Travel by car:  You can find directions to Dickinson at the college web site:  http://www.dickinson.edu/about/maps/.  You should be able to find parking on the street or at various college parking lots near campus.

Travel by train.  There is an Amtrak station at Harrisburg, about 20 miles east of Carlisle. 

Travel by air:  The nearest airport is Harrisburg International (HIA) but Baltimore Washington International (BWI) is also nearby (90 miles) and probably offers the best rates.  A third option worth checking is Philadelphia (120 miles). 

Ground transportation.  For those arriving and departing from HIA or BWI, we will be providing free shuttle service. A schedule will be posted after the workshop spaces have been filled.

Travel Supplements.  We will be providing a two-tier travel supplemental allowance in addition to the $500 stipend that all participants receive.  Those traveling from home locations within 50 miles from Carlisle will receive $100 each.  Others traveling from greater distances will receive a larger amount, but the exact figure depends on the geographical make up of the workshop participants.   Those traveling distances of greater than 50 miles will split the remaining travel budget evenly.  Participants in this category should anticipate travel funds in the neighborhood of $300 each.  All participants will receive their travel supplements within 30 days AFTER the workshops have concluded.  Anyone who misses sessions of the workshops will have their travel supplements reduced.

TOP

Housing and Meals

Participants will be charged approximately $33 per person per night for lodging on campus. On-campus accommodations are located in Morgan Hall, a recently renovated dormitory, where participants will enjoy private bedrooms that share bathrooms with no more than one other person. The rooms are air-conditioned and come equipped with essential furniture such as beds, dressers, desks and chairs. Basic linens and supplies, including sheets, towels, wash cloths, blankets, pillows and soap, are provided by the college. Morgan Hall also has a lounge with TV and kitchenette. Depending on travel plans, participants will need either five or six nights of lodging. You may elect to stay off-campus if you prefer at one of the area's many hotels, B&Bs or campgrounds. 
You can contact Dickinson's website "About hotels" for details on those facilities. 

The daily meal plan for participants will cost about $145 for the week and includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at the cafeteria, beginning with Sunday evening dinner and ending with Friday lunch.  Participants may also elect to decline the meal plan and arrange meals on their own through various local restaurants and College snack bars.  We will provide details about restaurants and stores upon arrival.

TOP

Stipend
Participants will receive a stipend of $500 to help cover food, lodging, and travel. All participants should anticipate arriving on Sunday before the start of each workshop and attending all workshop sessions (through Friday afternoon at 3pm) if they expect to receive their full stipends. We will present stipend checks to participants at the end of the workshop if we receive W-9 forms and reservations for on-campus housing and the weekly meal plan by Friday, June 16, 2008.  We will deduct on-campus housing and meal plan costs from your stipend check in advance. 

Additional travel funds will be made available on a case-by-case basis. Please see the travel section for more details.

Carlisle Area
The workshops will be centered on the campus of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on July 13-18, 2008 and July 20-25, 2008, with various field trips organized for the participants. Situated in south-central Pennsylvania, Carlisle is a safe, attractive small town with colonial roots that is surrounded by natural beauty and a wide variety of historic sites, including the nearby battlefield at Gettysburg.

Check out the links provided here for gateways to Carlisle area sites and organizations that may be of interest to you.

Professional Development Credit
Dickinson College will provide a graduate-level transcript (800 level) with workshop title and one credit hour for all participants who attend the full workshop and submit a final lesson plan within 30 days following the workshop. The college will also certify contact hours on behalf of participants to any state or local school district.  There will be a one-time only $25 processing fee that will enable participants to obtain up to 12 transcripts verifying their completion of the credit hour graduate-level course.