Death Education
Free programs on death, dying, and remembrance
If a cemetery isn’t the perfect setting for a conversation about death, what is?
It doesn’t often come up too often in small talk—it’s one of the last great taboos. Here at Green-Wood, we aim to change that. Our free public programs in death education demystify a wide range of topics relating to end of life. Scroll down for upcoming programs.
What is death education? It’s an umbrella term for studies and activities that facilitate the understanding and acceptance of death. In short, it’s all about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable universal truth of dying. It can incorporate understanding everyday practices like funerals and cremation, or exploring historical and cultural approaches to death. At Green-Wood we offer practical programs in death preparedness (including workshops on grief), lectures by academic experts in the death-positive field, programs that examine death through the lens of different cultures, and Death Cafes (informal, guided conversations about death).
Green-Wood’s death education programs are curated by Gabrielle Gatto, coordinator of public programs. She holds a certificate in Thanatology from The Open Center and is a graduate of the Going with Grace End of Life Training program with Alua Arthur.
Grieving & Weaving: Resolutions and Renewal
There is something cathartic about working with yarn—a solace to be found in methodically creating patterns and textures with your own hands. Join Green-Wood Death Educator Gabrielle R. Gatto and artist Mary Pat Klein as they bring together creativity and contemplation with an evening of knitting and crocheting. For the January meeting of Grieving & ... Read more
Civic Solidarity: Conversations on Death & Society
Join us for an open forum on the past, present, and future of socially and environmentally sustainable memorialization and burial in New York City. This event is sponsored by the New York Community Trust and presented by Columbia University DeathLAB and The Green-Wood Cemetery. We invite you to share your thoughts, hopes, and questions about ... Read more
Death Cafe
The Death Cafe is a simple concept. Bring strangers together to discuss one of the great universal truths: death. With thousands of chapters in over 26 countries around the world, Death Cafes are informal gatherings that aim to “increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their lives.” There ... Read more
Things That Matter: Tails, Paws, Beaks, & Claws
Our beloved pets are as much a part of the family as any human, and the grief that follows their deaths can hold more weight than we anticipated. As dogs, cats, parakeets, gerbils, lizards, and goldfish have shorter lives, loving and caring for them in both youth and old age can be transformational in our ... Read more
Grieving & Weaving: Matters of the Heart
There is something cathartic about working with yarn—a solace to be found in methodically creating patterns and textures with your own hands. Join Green-Wood Death Educator Gabrielle R. Gatto and artist Mary Pat Klein as they bring together creativity and contemplation with an evening of knitting and crocheting. For the February meeting of Grieving & ... Read more
Mortality & Me: Green-Wood’s Book Club
It's often difficult to engage in conversations about death: Will I say the wrong thing? Am I going to offend someone? Who wants to talk about that morbid stuff anyway? Green-Wood’s book club, Mortality & Me, will help make death an easier subject to talk about through compelling books that tackle this topic head on. ... Read more
Grieving & Weaving: National Craft Month
There is something cathartic about working with yarn—a solace to be found in methodically creating patterns and textures with your own hands. Join Green-Wood Death Educator Gabrielle R. Gatto and artist Mary Pat Klein as they bring together creativity and contemplation with an evening of knitting and crocheting. For the March meeting of Grieving & ... Read more
Death Cafe
The Death Cafe is a simple concept. Bring strangers together to discuss one of the great universal truths: death. With thousands of chapters in over 25 countries around the world, Death Cafes are informal gatherings that aim to “increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their lives.” There ... Read more
Green-Wood’s public programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, as well as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
