Dare to Teach: The Life and Legacy of Prudence Crandall

The Library invites the public to a lecture on the life of Prudence Crandall, Connecticut’s official state heroine, on Thursday, February 6, at 7 p.m.

Carolyn Ivanoff will present Dare to Teach: The Life and Legacy of Prudence Crandall, telling the story of how Crandall began a school in Canterbury, Connecticut in 1833 to educate young African-American women. Crandall was bullied, harassed, threatened, fined, jailed and tried three times because she dared to teach. The school was victimized by the populace, who contaminated the well and attempted arson, and, ultimately, the school was closed. Prudence Crandall would in time be honored and celebrated as the Connecticut State Heroine.



Carolyn Ivanoff is an Assistant Principal at Shelton Intermediate School. A graduate of Sacred Heart University, she has been an educator for over 25 years. She is committed to bringing history, social studies and literacy programs beyond the classroom and into the community. In 2003, Ivanoff was named the Civil War Preservation Trust’s Civil War Preservationist Teacher of the Year. In 2010, she served on a panel of eight teachers who wrote the Civil War Trust’s national Civil War curriculum. In 2010 and 2011, the Connecticut League of History Organizations recognized the quality of her educational programs with Awards of Merit.

This program is free and open to all. No registration is required.