The Troutbeck Symposium began with a simple idea: students learn history best when they do the work of historians. Across the school year, students conduct original research into the histories of their own communities. They explore archives, interview community members, examine primary sources, and interpret historical evidence. That research takes many forms — documentary films, oral history projects, visual art, writing, and public storytelling. The annual Symposium is the moment when this work is shared. Students travel to Troutbeck to present their projects, exchange ideas with peers and educators, and contribute their discoveries to a broader historical conversation.

“This is the most important, productive, most meaningful, and most promising program I have been involved with in my career. The Troutbeck Symposium is the roadmap for the future.”
— Dr. Christina Proenza-Coles, University of Virginia

“This is about uncovering truths that will indeed set us free.”
— Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ohio State University

“It makes my Beinecke Library heart sing to see middle and high school students engaging with tangible archives, community memories, and historical narrative in ways that bring both to life.”
— Michael Morand, Yale University