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Teaching Vonnegut

Welcome to Teaching Vonnegut 2023!

Thank you for your interest in our Teaching Vonnegut workshop series.

Teaching Vonnegut is an annual series of workshops exploring the life, works, and legacy of Kurt Vonnegut as well as the causes that he championed. Have an idea for a Teaching Vonnegut workshop? Our application period will open in January.

Teaching Vonnegut History

In 2011 Teaching Vonnegut began as a way for teachers to teach other teachers about the work of Kurt Vonnegut and create new lesson plans to enhance student engagement in middle school, high school, and college classrooms.
In 2021 KVML expanded Teaching Vonnegut to include workshops related to a diverse range of subjects like environmentalism, social justice, remote learning, dramatic arts, becoming an author, and navigating censorship and free speech conversations. And we are excited to continue that expansion in 2022.
Kurt Vonnegut’s irresistible sense of humor and world view has inspired students to read, discuss, and create for decades. Since 2011, Teaching Vonnegut has provided educators opportunities to build new and refresh existing classroom curricula.

2022 Teaching Vonnegut Workshops

Other workshops have included:
In 2022 our workshops were attended by more people than ever and continued our expansion of Teaching Vonnegut to explore subjects that resonate with Vonnegut’s own work. We had workshops that dealt with finding empowerment through storytelling, navigating free speech in the classroom, and even comic books! In 2023, we’re excited to proceed with the expansion of our workshops and participants. Teaching Vonnegut workshops are open and applicable to all!

I have had many, many professional developments in my career, but none as valuable and with more takeaways merit than Teaching Vonnegut. I am a librarian in a diverse Appalachian high school of 1,700 students, and this year I have been able to collaborate with teachers about Kurt Vonnegut lesson plans, thus enhancing readership. There has been a renewed excitement about his works, and I have gotten several of my colleagues interested in coming to Teaching Vonnegut next summer. This is certainly a program that should grow and grow.

– Workshop Attendee

Teaching Vonnegut Schedule & Registration

KVML will host eight (8) two-hour Zoom workshops spread across the afternoon and evening on scheduled days in July.

Workshops will be led by experts in their fields and Vonnegut scholars, and aim to enhance both public and educator knowledge on a variety of topics related to the works, interests and philosophy of Kurt Vonnegut. Workshops will also continue to help teachers build new, and enhance existing, educational curricula back at their home schools.

Teaching Vonnegut Workshops are inclusive, and open to anyone. There are no prerequisites. It is our goal to provide high-quality educational experiences to as many people as possible. So, whether you’re a teacher or just someone who has an interest in the subject matter, we welcome you at Teaching Vonnegut.

For more information on Teaching Vonnegut, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section below. If you have any other ideas or questions regarding future or existing Teaching Vonnegut workshops please email us at  [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

Each Teaching Vonnegut workshop is two hours long and covers a unique topic related to the life, work and philosophy of Kurt Vonnegut. In 2022, all workshops will be conducted via Zoom. Workshops often include breakout room sessions, individual or group activities, and example lesson plans for those that wish to build new or augment existing curricula. Teaching Vonnegut is open and attended by all life-long learners, and there are no prerequisites for any workshop.
Participants who complete Teaching Vonnegut workshops will receive a Teaching Vonnegut Certificate of Completion.
Teaching Vonnegut Workshops are inclusive, and open to anyone. Whether you are a teacher or just someone who has an interest in the subject matter, you are welcome at Teaching Vonnegut. It is our goal to provide high-quality, unique workshops to as many people as possible. There are no prerequisites for Teaching Vonnegut workshops.

When you are ready to register for one or more of the 2022 workshops please do so here.

Each 2022 Teaching Vonnegut workshop costs $27 per attendee. There are also discounted four (4)- and eight (8)-workshop packages available for $80 and $160, respectively, and a discounted student registration rate of $10 per workshop.

Anyone registering for Teaching Vonnegut 2022 will receive the 2022 So it Goes e-book when it is published later this year. All participants who complete a workshop will also receive a Certificate of Completion. Please see below for Additional KVML Benefits when you sign up for the 4- or 8-workshop packages!

We understand that the above costs may be prohibitive for some. If that is the case, please fill out the Scholarship Form, and KVML will carefully consider subsidizing your registration fees. It is our goal to make sure that these unique workshops are available to as many people as possible.

Anyone registering for Teaching Vonnegut 2022 will receive the 2022 So it Goes e-book when it is published later this year. All participants who complete a workshop will also receive a Certificate of Completion. Anyone signing up for at least 4 Teaching Vonnegut workshops will also receive 50% off KVML Membership in 2022. Anyone registering for all 8 workshops will receive free KVML Membership in 2022 and 50% off KVML Membership in 2023. Teaching Vonnegut membership discounts may only be applied to the “Friends of the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library” and “Kurt’s Karass” membership tiers. Please visit kvml.org to see all member benefits.

The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit organization and proud partner and affiliate of the American Writers Museum. The KVML is also a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, and in 2022 we received the American Library Association’s first Literary Landmark designation in the state of Indiana. Renowned author, Kurt Vonnegut took an unflinching look at the world, tempered with a satirical eye and sardonic sense of humor. In honor of his wit and wisdom, the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library champions the literary, artistic, and cultural contributions of the late writer, artist, teacher, and Indianapolis native, while advocating for free speech and common decency. The library and museum serve as a cultural and educational resource unique to the nation.

Kathi Badertscher, PhD

Director of Graduate Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Kathi Badertscher, PhD, is Director of Graduate Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Dr. Badertscher teaches a variety of BA, MA, and doctoral courses, including Applying Ethics in Philanthropy and History of Philanthropy. She has participated in several Teaching Vonnegut workshops and is a member of the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. Dr. Badertscher has been a guest speaker on ethics in philanthropy, including at the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners – Indianapolis Council; Association of Fundraising Professionals – Indiana Chapter; and Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China. In 2019 she received IUPUI Office for Women, Women’s Leadership Award for Newcomer Faculty. In 2019 and 2020 she received the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Graduate Teaching Award.
Dr. Badertscher’s publications include “Fundraising for Advocacy and Social Change,” co-authored with Shariq Siddiqui in Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, 5th ed., 2022; “Insulin at 100: Indianapolis, Toronto, Woods Hole, and the ‘Insulin Road,’ co-authored with Christopher Rutty, Pharmacy in History (2020); and three articles in the Indiana Magazine of History: “A New Wishard Is on the Way,” “Evaline Holliday and the Work of Community Service,” and “Social Networks in Indianapolis during the Progressive Era.” Her chapters on social welfare history will appear in three upcoming edited volumes on the history of philanthropy, including “The Legacy of Edna Henry and Her Contributions to the IU School of Social Work,” Women at Indiana University: Views of the Past and the Future, edited by Andrea Walton, Indiana University Press, 2022 (forthcoming). Dr. Badertscher is also the Philanthropy and Nonprofits Consulting Editor for the forthcoming Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, edited by David J. Bodenhamer and Elizabeth Van Allen, Indiana University Press, 2021. Dr. Badertscher is an active volunteer in the Indianapolis community. At present, she is a Coburn Place Safe Haven Board Member and a Children’s Bureau/Families First Brand and Marketing Advisor. Dr. Badertscher holds the MA in History from Indiana University and the MA and PhD in philanthropic studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Volunteer With KVML

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library Volunteer Application

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions about this application’s content.