“I found the Institute thoughtfully planned and executed. The transcendental movement was, in its time, and continues to be understood as multi-faceted in scope and aims, and the visiting faculty's presentations successfully explored the movement in all its breadth and depth.”

“I am confident that this institute will have lasting effects on my career. Studying the Transcendentalists in their hometown of Concord among a group of scholars and educators was an experience that I will never forget. Thank you.”

“I am very grateful for this NEH program. The institute exceeded my hopes and expectations. I feel it is a model for how to regenerate scholars at mid-career. We participants will carry with us a new sense of purpose. Many of us felt that we had rarely, if ever, been in the company of so many bright minds and sensitive hearts.”

“The program was excellent, providing me a chance to meet fellow teachers/scholars with an interest in the Transcendentalists, explore the historical contexts of Transcendentalism, and research materials of particular importance to me. I've already revised my American Literature survey syllabus in light of what I learned.”

“This experience deepened my understanding of the Transcendentalists in context with their place and also my historical understanding of Abolition and the important role women played in social reform This understanding is invaluable in my research and will make me a much better teacher of these subjects.”

“This seminar vastly increased my knowledge about Transcendentalism and the most significant Transcendentalists. Being in Concord, and specifically at the historic Colonial Inn, gave me an invaluable grounding in that specific place and helped me to understand its importance in and influence on the lives of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau.”