# Molly Brunson Led Seminar for New Haven Public Schools Teachers

**Source**: https://arthistory.yale.edu/news/molly-brunson-led-seminar-new-haven-public-schools-teachers
**Parent**: https://arthistory.yale.edu/news/2025-09

#### Molly Brunson Led Seminar for New Haven Public Schools Teachers

September 11, 2025

Molly Brunson, Associate Professor in Slavic Language and Literatures, served as a seminar leader for the 2025 program of the [Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute](https://teachersinstitute.yale.edu). Established in 1978, the Teachers Institute offers seminars led by Yale faculty for K-12 teachers in New Haven Public Schools.

Brunson’s Institute seminar, “[Objects, Material Culture, and Empire: Making Russia](https://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/2025/1/),” explored how narratives and messages are embedded in everyday objects and how objects help shape identities and reveal the lives and stories of the people who made and used them. The seminar ran from February to the beginning of July and each Fellow completed the seminar by creating a curriculum unit to teach in their New Haven classroom.

Brunson described her experience: “Teaching a seminar for the Institute was, after more than 15 years at Yale, a genuinely unique experience. Each week was a surprise. With experience ranging from kindergarten to high school science teachers, the Fellows brought fresh insights and a true excitement around learning to our discussions. Most importantly, the connection that the Institute builds between Yale and New Haven schools felt meaningful and full of potential.”