About this class

History isn't just something that happened in the past. It's alive in the buildings we walk past, the neighborhoods we live in, and the stories that shape who we are today. History at Large is a class that gets you out of your seat and into the places where history actually happened.

Each series focuses on a different topic. One semester might explore immigration and the people who built New York City, another might follow the Civil Rights Movement through primary sources and personal stories, another might trace the history of science and invention. Topics rotate regularly, so there's always something new to explore.

New York City is our classroom. We take regular community excursions to some of the world's great museums and cultural institutions (the American Museum of Natural History, the New-York Historical Society, the Museum of the City of New York, the Tenement Museum, and others), using each visit as the centerpiece of the week's learning. Guest historians, archivists, and community storytellers round out the experience.

What you'll do

Topics we cover

How to read history: primary sources, photographs, maps, and artifacts
Series topics rotate. Examples include: Immigration & the Building of New York, Civil Rights & Social Change, Science & Invention Through the Ages, Women in History, NYC Neighborhood Stories
Understanding cause and effect: how events connect across time
Reading history critically: whose stories get told, and whose don't
Local and national history: how big events played out in our own backyard
History through objects: what museums choose to preserve and why
Connecting the past to the present: what history can teach us about today
Building your own historical curiosity: how to keep exploring on your own

How we learn

Community ExcursionAmerican Museum of Natural History: science, culture, and natural history

Community ExcursionNew-York Historical Society: primary sources and New York's story

Community ExcursionMuseum of the City of New York: five centuries of the city's history

Community ExcursionThe Tenement Museum: immigration and urban life told through real homes

Community ExcursionThe Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NYC): Indigenous history and culture

Community ExcursionBrooklyn Museum, The Met, or other rotating cultural institution: art and history intersect

Guest SpeakerMuseum educators and curators: experts on the season's topic

Guest SpeakerHistorians, archivists, and community storytellers

ActivityPrimary source analysis: reading real documents, photographs, and maps each session

ActivityPersonal history project: participants connect the season's topic to their own family or community story

Mix of Community Excursions, Guest Speakers, and activities.

Who it's for

Open to all adult learners. Designed for adults with I/DD, autistic adults, and neurodivergent learners. Self-Direction (IDGS) funding accepted, subject to approval by your fiscal intermediary. No history background needed — just come ready to explore.

Who teaches it

Joseph Amodeo

Joseph is the founder of The Grove and brings years of classroom and professional teaching experience to the program. A former adjunct lecturer of political science, he has spent his career at the intersection of education, communication, and community.

Read full bio

Schedule

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Pricing

$75 per session · 90 min per class. Bundle discounts apply when you register for multiple sessions: 10% off for 4 or more, 20% off for 8 or more, across any combination of classes at The Grove.

Registration is handled on our secure registration site.