Institute Overview

A Summer Institute for School Teachers in New Bedford, Massachusetts

Organized by the New Bedford Whaling Museum and The Melville Society Cultural Project, Moby-Dick and the World of Whaling in the Digital Age immerses educators in curriculum and provides resources using a unique vantage point from which to examine the world of 19th-century whaling, an energy industry that spanned the globe and relied on an international workforce. Participants travel to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to build upon the local resources in the city and the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s material artifacts to consider how Melville used the anatomy of whales and the accoutrements of whaling to craft an epic that still resonates with readers today.

Melville’s Moby-Dick, named for the white whale, swims as a literary work at the center of the established canon and one of the most frequently referenced and adapted American novels. This institute encounters the rich worlds of Moby-Dick to help teachers better understand Melville’s masterpiece, appreciate its literary power, and interpret its wonders for their students.

This three-week hybrid institute has two components: June 23-28, 2024 online and July 7-19, 2024 onsite at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Participants should plan to attend all three weeks of the institute. Each participant receives a stipend of $2,850 for the Institute. The assigned books will be provided to participants free-of-charge.

Applications open on December 15, 2023, and will close on March 5, 2024