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Join fellow engaged educators at the 25th annual Reacting to the Past Summer Institute at Barnard College in New York City. From June 5-8 (with optional welcome activities on June 4th), we will offer our signature mix of engrossing educational game workshops, thoughtful concurrent sessions, and working groups dedicated to addressing pressing questions facing instructors at this moment. With a great array of game options both long and short, key pedagogical insights, a keynote speaker you can't miss, and the best community you'll find in higher ed, we look forward to seeing you this summer at the Reacting Summer Institute! 

PROGRAM AND SCHEDULE

EVENT OPTIONS
During this four-day event (see schedule below), you have two options:

  • Two Reacting Game Workshops
     You'll play two Reacting games in succession: one game on Thursday-Friday, and the other on Saturday-Sun    day 
OR
  • One Reacting Game Workshop and One Newbie Workshop
     You'll play one Reacting game on Thursday-Friday, and then partake in a hands-on workshop series designed to walk you through the process of syllabus revision, assessment strategies, and curricular integration, so you'll feel fully confident when implementing Reacting to the Past. This option is recommended for Reacting Newbies, and for cohorts from the same school.  
Regardless of which of the above options you choose, all participants can enjoy additional concurrent sessions and working groups with experience Reacting faculty and students. 

GAME WORKSHOPS
 The Reacting pedagogy is best understood by experiencing as students do, albeit in abbreviated versions. A Reacting game workshop offers a condensed gameplay experience, while covering broader context for the simulation and mechanics, and includes post-game guidance on how to use it in your own classroom. 

Participants will be sent a Gamebook outlining the topics and debates of a specific historical moment, as well as a detailed a Role Sheet for their historical actor in those debates. Participants prepare and engage as that historical actor, making arguments and forging alliances to achieve specific Victory Objectives. You need not be a specialist to play, or to run a Reacting game, but you should plan on doing some preparatory reading.

GAME OPTIONS

Games offered on June 5-6:

Games offered on June 7-8:

SCHEDULE All times in local Eastern Time Zone

Wednesday, June 4 

4:00 - 10:00 PM

DORMS OPEN FOR CHECK-IN
Stop by 616 W 116th Street to get your welcome packet, badge, and room key, if you're staying on-campus.


7:00 - 9:00 PM 

OPENING MICROGAMES (OPTIONAL)

We invite all participants, whether you're new to the Reacting pedagogy or an old pro, to meet up in the Milstein Center to say hello and break the ice with a short microgame!

Thursday, June 5

8:00 - 9:00 AM

CHECK-IN, BREAKFAST, AND WELCOMING PLENARY

9:00  - 10:30 AM

FIRST GAME WORKSHOP - SESSION A

Setup, Historical Context, and Faction Meetings 
The game workshop offers a condensed gameplay experience, context for the simulation, and includes post-game guidance on how to use Reacting in your own classes. You'll be sent a Gamebook, as well as a detailed a role sheet. During the game, you participate as your role, making arguments and forging alliances to achieve specific objectives. The first session will cover historical context, game set-up, and faction meetings. Choose one of five games: 

Ashoka: Becoming the Dharma King





Red Clay 1835: Cherokee Removal and the Meaning of Sovereignty

Charles Darwin, the Copley Medal, and the Rise of Naturalism, 1861-64 (2nd Edition)

Radical Reconstruction in New Orleans, 1868-76

The Second Spanish Republic, 1931-1939

11:00 - 12:30 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

12:30 - 2:00 PM

LUNCH & PRESENTATIONS

2:15 - 3:30 PM

FIRST GAME WORKSHOP - SESSION B

Debate and Discussion
Your game begins in earnest. During the game, you participate as your role, making arguments and forging alliances to achieve specific objectives. You'll get through one third to one half of the game in this session.

3:30 - 5:00 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

5:00 - 6:00 PM

RECEPTION

You've survived your first marathon Institute day! Join us for a snack and a drink to celebrate before you head out to enjoy the city...or cram for your game.

Friday, June 6

8:00 - 9:00 AM

BREAKFAST

9:30 - 10:30 AM 

FIRST GAME WORKSHOP - SESSION C

10:30 - 11:00 AM

COFFEE BREAK

11:00 AM - 1:30 PM

FIRST GAME WORKSHOP - SESSION D

Debrief and Post-Mortem 
The final session includes time for de-roling (from the role you played), debriefing the game, discussion of 'what actually happened' in history and connections to larger themes or contemporary events. The Post-Mortem is a pedagogical debrief in which you discuss game mechanics and implementation. As always, the GM will leave time for questions. 

Saturday, June 7

8:00 - 9:00 AM

BREAKFAST

9:00 - 10:30 PM

NEWBIE WORKSHOP - SESSION 1

A Hands-On Workshop: Prepare to Teach with Reacting  

-OR-

SECOND GAME WORKSHOP - SESSION 1

Setup, Historical Context, and Faction Meetings 
The game workshop offers a condensed gameplay experience, context for the simulation, and includes post-game guidance on how to use Reacting in your own classes. During the game, you participate as your role, making arguments and forging alliances to achieve specific objectives. The first session will cover historical context, game set-up, and faction meetings. Choose one of four games: 

Conclave 1492: The Election of a Renaissance Pope

The Alien & Sedition Acts of 1798

"A Virtuous Woman"? The Abolition of Sati in India, 1829  

London 1854: Cesspits, Cholera, and Conflict Over the Broad Street Pump

12:30 - 2:00 PM

LUNCH & PRESENTATIONS

2:00 - 3:30 PM

NEWBIE WORKSHOP OR GAME WORKSHOP SESSIONS 

3:30 - 5:00 PM

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 

Sunday, June 8

8:30 - 9:30 AM

BREAKFAST

9:30 - 12:30 AM

NEWBIE WORKSHOP   

-OR-

SECOND GAME WORKSHOP SESSIONS

Debate and Discussion. Post-Mortem.

PRICING

REGISTRATION RATES 

The rates include all conference events and game materials as well as four breakfasts, four coffee breaks, two lunches, and an evening reception. Members will need to sign into your account in order to register at the member rate. Not already a member of the Consortium? Become a member here!

  Until March 31 During April May and later
Grad Student/TA  $555 $605  $655
Consortium Member  $585  $635  $685
Non-Member  $685  $735  $785

THE DANA JOHNSON GORLIN FELLOWSHIP FUNDED REGISTRATION 
The Dana Johnson Gorlin Fellowship covers registration, travel, and housing for one instructor to attend the conference. Read more about Dana, the fellowship, previous recipients, and how to apply. Applications and nominations are due March 15, 2025. 

FUNDED REGISTRATION FOR DEI ADVANCEMENT
The Reacting Consortium is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging. We have funded registration for instructors who are members of historically underrepresented and marginalized identity groups, and/or for those teaching at minority-serving institutions (HBCUs, Tribal colleges and universities, AAPI and Hispanic-serving institutions). If you are interested in applying for one of these spots, please send an email to reacting@barnard.edu with the subject line “Funded Summer Institute Spot” by May 1. Approved applicants will be able to register for free. Please apply and share with colleagues.


LODGING 

This year, our usual digs in Sulzberger Tower are out of commission this summer, so we have suites of four- to six- bed suites at a residence hall at 616 W. 116th Street, just south of campus. You can look at pictures of the building and see floorplans here. Most beds are in their own small rooms within the suites, but there are a number of rooms with two. You can reserve a bed for $95/night, including basic linens. At the point of registration, you can indicate if you'd like to share a room or suite with a friend or colleague, otherwise we will sort registrants into suites by gender.




FAQ


CAN I ONLY PARTICIPATE IN ONE GAME?

If you choose to play both Game Workshops, then you'll be able to play two games. If you instead choose to do the Newbie Workshop, you'll only play a game for the first two days. If you can only attend two days, please reach out to jworth@barnard.edu to find out what is possible. 

ARE ALL GAMES APPROPRIATE FOR NEWCOMERS, OR NON-SPECIALISTS?

All of the games for the first two-day workshop are appropriate for newcomers to Reacting, as well as non-specialists in these topics. And in general, newcomers can participate in any of our games. 

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE GAME WORKSHOP? 

First of all: fun! In terms of practical details: Participants will be sent a Gamebook (either digitally or a hardcopy in the mail) outlining the topics and debates of a historical moment, as well as a detailed a role sheet for a historical actor in those debates. Participants prepare and engage as that historical actor, making arguments and forging alliances to achieve specific Victory Objectives. You need not be a specialist to play (or run) a Reacting game, but you should plan on doing some preparatory reading. 


I HAVE A CONFLICT FOR PART OF THE GAME WORKSHOP SESSIONS, CAN I STILL ATTEND?

Yes. While it's not ideal, you can absolutely still attend. Please make note of your conflict when you register so we can try to work around it in casting, and we can let your GM know.  


STILL GOT QUESTIONS? 

Email us at reacting@barnard.edu and we'll try to answer them!

                    REGISTER NOW                            



UPCOMING EVENTS

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