Do you wish you had asked your family elders more questions before they passed?
Do you wish you had captured their stories?
Do you wonder about their resilience that made it possible for you to exist?
If you have ever asked yourself these questions, The Bridgeport History Center invites you to join Curiosity Heals, a new genealogy workshop series starting May 2026. Sessions guide participants through the healing process of researching, relating to, documenting, and honoring their ancestors.
Over four, ninety-minute weekly sessions learn how to construct a family tree along with research techniques utilizing digital archives, how to conduct an intergenerational oral history and apply their family legacy within a historical context.
Research fuels storytelling. To bring family history to life, participants will document their findings by crafting short family history narrative. In class time is provided for writing, and optional sharing.
Weekly in-person sessions on Saturdays at The Bridgeport History Center, located on the third floor of the Burroughs-Saden Library, 925 Broad Street in downtown Bridgeport. Sessions include:
May 2nd - Ignite Your Curiosity
May 9th - Build a Family Tree
May 16th - Intergenerational Oral History
June 13th - Family History Narrative
To learn more, email Jennifer Toro, Founder, Curiosity Heals at curiosityhealsworkshops@gmail.com. Secure your spot today!
Testimonials
“Curiosity Heals is the workshop I didn’t realize I needed as I began my journey of becoming a family historian. Jennifer has created a welcoming community where people from all different family backgrounds can come together in a meaningful way to research, reflect, and connect the stories of our past to the lives we live today — and how those stories can help shape our future.
Jennifer walks you through the process starting from the very beginning, including how to start building a family tree and explore the foundations of your family history.
This workshop has helped me learn who I come from which has deepened my understanding of who I am. It has connected me to ancestors I have never physically met, yet feel deeply connected to. This work grounds me in the spirit of my ancestors and creates a meaningful way to honor them while continuing the story they began.”
“If you are interested in your family history and genealogy, I highly recommend Jennifer Toro’s Curiosity Heals Workshop. I just completed the first 6-week course and learned more about my family history than I had known for the last 50 years. It is amazing to begin to understand the many strands that connect our families, their struggles, and the stories living relatives still remember. Jennifer is also a wealth of knowledge with regard to internet tools that make historical exploration easier. If you want to combine historical research with the thrill of detective work, this is for you.”
“Curiosity Heals showed me that this work is accessible to anyone who has curiosity about their family and a desire to document their history. It becomes a meaningful passion project that connects the past, present, and future.
My favorite part of the workshop was learning how to create a family narrative. That experience stretched my mind and helped me see what becoming a family historian can truly look like. Even more meaningful was being able to share these stories with my relatives, which deepened our connection not only to each other, but also to the loved ones who have passed on yet continue to live through the memories in our hearts.
Documenting these stories today is so purposeful because it gives future generations the opportunity to understand who they are by learning where they come from — helping them feel grounded in their roots and empowered to live authentically.”
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