This is a planned residential program. Depending on public health guidelines related to COVID-19, plans for a residential offering are subject to change.

Schedule

Over the course of two weeks, award-winning scholar-educators will guide participants through primary and secondary sources from digital platforms like the UAHC’s Nelson Hackett Project and put fugitives at the center of the crisis that ended in civil war as well as introducing research methodologies to recover the lives of others fleeing slavery. Participants will return home with enriched understandings of American history, research experience, introductions to free classroom resources, and ideas about how to incorporate primary research into their curriculum. They will create final projects that are customized, level-specific lesson plans incorporating free online resources.

A detailed schedule with information on readings, daily activities, final project guide, and resources is available.

Readings

Erica A. Dunbar, Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge, 2017.

Michael Pierce, “‘Adventures. Escape of a Slave’: An Account of the Flight of Nelson Hackett, May 27, 1842,” Arkansas Historical Quarterly 79 (Summer 2020): 33-42.

Richard Blackett, Making Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Politics of Slavery (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2017)

Stipend

In return for full participation in the project, participants receive a stipend of $2200. This stipend is intended to help cover travel, housing, meals, and basic academic expenses. Stipends are determined according to the format and duration of the summer program and are taxable as income. Half will be paid at the beginning of the program, and half at the end.

Housing

Meetings for the institute will take place on the University of Arkansas campus, which provides all the resources — technology, wifi, library, and amenities — expected of a flagship, research university. A block of rooms in student dormitories within easy walk of the institute has been reserved in our Northwest Quad at a rate of approximately $40 a night for doubles or $60.00 a night for singles. Details here.  An optional meal plan is available. There are also many hotels and rentals near campus. Free university busses provide regular transport through the university neighborhoods.

Fayetteville

In 2021 US News and World Report ranked Fayetteville Arkansas as the fourth-best place to live in the United States. Over half a million people live in the region, which is serviced by an airport that hosts major carriers and along key highway routes. Fayetteville is a community made vibrant by the presence of the headquarters for Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J. B. Hunt. After daily activities, an evening’s walking excursion (or scooter ride!) to one of the many trail-side restaurants could be a place for conversation and team building. From hikes that feature the best views of the Natural State to a world class art museum, there are many things to do in Fayetteville and the region.

In-Service Credit

Upon completion of the institute and submission of their projects, participants will receive a certificate that can be used with their local state education associations for continuing education or in-service credit.