Living History on the Erie Canal: A Professional Development Experience Aboard the Seneca Chief

Step out of the classroom and into history with this unique, hands-on professional learning experience aboard the Seneca Chief canal boat. Join fellow educators for an immersive living history field-based PD event that brings the story of the Erie Canal to life—while modeling engaging strategies you can bring directly back to your students.

Set against the backdrop of the historic Erie Canal, this experience blends content knowledge, inquiry-based learning, and place-based education. Participants will explore how canal life shaped New York’s development while engaging in activities that mirror what students experience during field trips.

Please arrive as close to 4 pm as possible - the PD will start promptly at 4:15 PM

What You’ll Experience:

• Interactive, hands-on learning aboard a working canal boat replica
• Exploration of 19th-century life, trade, and travel along the Erie Canal
• Strategies for incorporating living history and experiential learning into your classroom
• Connections to NYS Social Studies Framework themes, including economic systems, geography, and cultural interaction
• Practical ideas for planning meaningful student field trips and extending the learning back in school

CTLE credit will be available.

Any non-member attending will be given CDCSS membership through October 1, 2027!