Located in Amenia, New York, within the vibrant Hudson Valley, Troutbeck is situated on acres of bucolic landscape, bisected by the Webutuck River and Dunham Creek. The gateway to the upstate cultural and creative corridor, Troutbeck - re-envisioned and carefully updated – is again what it was to so many before us: inspiration, respite, restoration, folly, community, nature and nurture – carrying forward its 250-year legacy of hospitality.
And when you’re ready, enjoy breakfast in your spacious king-sized bed nestled in luxurious Frette linens. Devour a new book by the fireplace, the peace and abundance beyond your windows, or perhaps opened to the country air - the sounds of the Webatuck river and Dunham creek as they roll beneath. However you wish to spend your time away, each of our unique rooms will provide the escape you need.
We’re situated amongst the vibrant and engaging communities of the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut. Visit Millerton, Amenia or Wassaic, NY and Sharon, CT by complimentary bicycle. Zipline Catamount in summer or ski it in winter. Hike, fly fish, ride horseback, gravel or mountain bike, take a farm tour, visit a distillery, a bookstore or any number of beautiful shops nearby. Truly, there is something for everyone. Troutbeck is active with arts and cultural programming, with curated events on property and off all year.
April 22 – 24, 2026 One year of research. One place to share it.
The Troutbeck Symposium is the culminating gathering of a year of student historical inquiry across the region.
Throughout the school year, students investigate the histories of their own communities — working with archives, museums, oral histories, and primary sources to uncover stories that have been overlooked, forgotten, or never recorded.
At the Symposium, that work becomes public. Students travel to Troutbeck to present original films, artworks, research, and storytelling projects before a live audience — contributing new knowledge to the historical record while demonstrating the power of young people as historians.
Now in its fifth year, the Symposium has grown into a regional civic ecosystem of learning, connecting schools, educators, archivists, historians, artists, and cultural institutions through place-based research and student-authored public history.
Like their celebrated predecessors, students will gather at Troutbeck to reveal truths — sometimes uncomfortable ones — in a significant site in the history of American thought and social movements.
PROGRAM
April 22 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM Art Exhibition Opening
Student Art Exhibition Opening
An exhibition of student artwork rooted in historical research.
Student presentations and remarks by:
Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University
Dr. Christina Proenza-Coles, Lecturer, American Studies Department, University of Virginia
Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, Brown University
Taha Clayton, Visual Artist
April 23 | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM Students as Historians
A full day of student presentations and film screenings showcasing original research projects developed throughout the year.
Returning educators and guests include:
Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ohio State University
Dr. Christina Proenza-Coles, University of Virginia
Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, Brown University
Taha Clayton, Visual Artist
April 24 | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM CT Humanities Roundtable Led by Creative Futures
A working session bringing together educators, cultural institutions, and program partners to reflect on the Symposium model and explore how place-based historical inquiry can support deeper civic learning.
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM How do you know that? Led by Michael Morand of The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Join the Troutbeck Symposium for a 90-minute working session built around a question at the heart of historical thinking: How do you know that?
Framed as a collaborative conversation rather than a traditional workshop, this session explores how students move beyond finding information to understanding its origins — through archives, documents, interviews, and artifacts. Together, participants will begin shaping practical tools and approaches that make citation and source-tracing feel like investigation, helping students develop one of the most essential habits of mind in the age of AI.
Opportunity to purchase a grab-and-go lunch bag or if you would like to stay for lunch please reserve a table with
Recent Highlights & Accomplishments:
Cross-school student collaborations
Rhonan Mokriski of the Salisbury School and Troutbeck Symposium co-founder, named 2024 Connecticut History Teacher of the Year by Gilder Lehrman Institute; and Peter Vermilyea Gilder Lehrman Connecticut History Teacher of the Year in 2006.
Student documentaries earning national and internation recognition, including Black Moses (The Marvelwood School): Best Student Film at the Ogeechee Internation History Film Festival. Speak Loud: The Story of Mabel Byrd (The Marvelwood School), selected for the Black History Film Festival in Washington DC, and the film that started this all, Coloring our Past (Salisbury School), winner of Best Student Film at the DownEast Film Festival and the Louisville Film Festival.
An enormous thanks to the organizations who have supported the Troutbeck Symposium this year.
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