When Jennifer Tozer, librarian at Pueblo Community College, set out to create an ambitious month-long educational program about the Salem Witch Trials, she knew she needed expert guidance to connect historical events to contemporary issues. That’s when she reached out to Sarah Jack, Director of End Witch Hunts, a Colorado-based nonprofit organization and the parent of The Thing About Witch Hunts.
From Historical Interest to Modern Relevance
Tozer’s passion project, “Witch Trials: Accusation to Exoneration,” began as a way to bring Salem’s history to students who might never visit Massachusetts. But she wanted the program to be more than just a history lesson. “I really wanted to start with something that people would be interested in and might draw them in, but then also talk about why it’s still relevant,” Tozer explained during a recent podcast interview.
Expert Consultation Makes the Connection
Sarah Jack, who works to raise awareness about modern-day witchcraft accusations worldwide, provided crucial consultation during the program’s development. As a descendant of Rebecca Nurse, one of the Salem victims, Jack brought both personal connection and professional expertise to the collaboration.
“I was so thrilled that you were interested in doing this,” Jack shared, acknowledging the challenges Tozer faced building the program from scratch when traditional museum exhibits aren’t available.
Bridging Past and Present
Through Jack’s guidance, the program successfully connects 17th-century witch trials to ongoing issues of injustice today. The collaboration ensures students understand that while Salem feels like ancient history, similar accusations and persecutions continue worldwide.
“We think Salem and we think it’s forever ago and what does that have to do with me?” Tozer noted. “If you think about it, it really wasn’t that long ago, and these things still happen today.”
Community Impact
Jack will present to Pueblo Community College students one of several expert presentations throughout October, alongside special author talks featuring Kathleen Kent (The Heretic’s Daughter) and Daniel Gagnon (A Salem Witch). This collaboration demonstrates how local expertise can enhance educational programming, bringing awareness about End Witch Hunts’ global mission directly to the community.
The partnership showcases how education and advocacy nonprofits and higher education institutions can work together to make historical education both engaging and relevant to contemporary social justice issues.
You can hear more about this collaboration in “Bringing Witch Trial History to Students: A Librarian’s Creative Educational Program” on The Thing About Witch Hunts podcast.
“Witch Trials: Accusation to Exoneration” runs throughout October at Pueblo Community College Library, featuring exhibits, author presentations, and community discussions.