Weekly Suggested Events for March 20-26, 2021

Home < Weekly Suggested Events < March 20-26, 2021

Are you looking for things to do in western Massachusetts? Seeking curriculum ideas for remote learning or homeschooling? Are you a self-directed, life-long, and/or experiential learner? Are you curious or wanting to support the interests of your family. Our weekly Suggested Events list includes suggested learning ideas, resources, and events for all ages, each week!

Scroll down to discover featured events, learning opportunities, and educational videos to support learning from home. And be sure to subscribe to our free weekly eNewsletter so you never miss out!

Graphic for 2021 Summer Camp Directory
Our Summer Directory for Western Massachusetts is now LIVE!
FEATURED EVENT: “The Right to Vote: Reexamining Women’s Suffrage” (Free/Virtual)

2020 marked the centennial of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote (for the most part.) Join Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Berkshire Community College for a free online course entitled “The Right to Vote: Reexamining Women’s Suffrage,” beginning Tuesday, March 23 & featuring different accomplished speakers each week. Participants will explore the history of women’s suffrage in the United States and the ongoing efforts to address women’s issues, including voting, elected representation, and gender-related public policy efforts. Sign up here and attend live via Zoom Tuesdays at 1:30pm or watch on-demand each week. Supported in part by Mass Humanities and offered by OLLI. Questions? Email olli@berkshirecc.edu.

River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) is a multi-faceted community-based mental health agency that has been changing lives and empowering people throughout the Pioneer Valley since 1953.

River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC) is a multi-faceted community-based mental health agency that has been changing lives and empowering people throughout the Pioneer Valley since 1953. Offices are located in Easthampton, Chicopee, Holyoke, Springfield, and opening an office soon in Westfield on April 1st. RVCC partners with school districts throughout Hampden and Hampshire Counties to provide therapy to students during the school day. RVCC is hiring clinicians! They offer a flexible schedule, bonuses for licensed and bilingual applicants, $1000 CEU benefit, $5,000 annual tuition reimbursement, generous health benefits, and more! Visit www.rvccinc.org to view current career opportunities and sign up for one of RVCC’s Virtual Hiring Events.

Graphic for NERD Summit 2021, an inclusive, community building annual tech event held in New England. March 19-21, 2021.
FEATURED EVENT: NERD Summit 2021

NERD (New England Regional Developers) Summit is an inclusive, community-building annual tech event held in New England. Each year, local professionals present sessions on various topics, with audiences ranging from beginners to individuals with years of experience. NERD’s mission is to collaborate with the regional community to ensure that the annual Summit and events throughout the year offer everyone, regardless of background or finances, a diverse curriculum for relevant skill-building and valuable networking opportunities. NERD’s mission supports their vision of creating positive and supportive learning opportunities for people who work or want to work in web and related technology. For more info, visit nerdsummit.org.

FEATURED SUMMER CLASSES
Sattva Center for Archery Training
Florence, MA

Logo for Sattva Center for Archery Training.
Outdoors.

Dates: April-October, 2021
Age Range: 7-Adults
Contact: 774-261-3399 ♦ serahrose@sattvaarchery.com 
♦ www.sattvaarchery.com

Archery classes all summer! Sattva Center for Archery Training offers outside socially distanced target archery classes all week, all summer at Look Memorial Park. Sattva’s experienced coaches provide a welcoming and professional atmosphere for participants of all levels. All classes are multi-generational and multi-level: an excellent experience for family groups and friend pods! Classes meet once a week for five weeks. Private lessons and custom groups are also available. Equipment included. Para-athletes are welcome. For youths ages 7+ through adults. Inner Strength Through Archery.

FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
Greenfield, MA

Summer Programs at Stoneleigh-Burnham School
Outdoors. Indoors.

Dates: June 20-August 13, 2021
Age Range: 8-18yo
Contact: 413-774-2711 x255
summerprograms@sbschool.org
sbschool.org/summer

Stoneleigh-Burnham School (SBS) is offering five summer opportunities! SBS offers Speak Up I and II, debate and public speaking camps for girls ages 10-18. These programs are a low-key, fun way to learn to empower their voice through conversation, debate, and public speaking. The Performing Arts Camp will offer dance, voice, and theater to coed campers ages 10-18; campers will work towards a culminating event showing all they have learned. The premier Bonnie Castle Riding Camp, a program for girls ages 8-16, is for riders of all skill levels. Girls and boys between the ages of 7-12 can also learn how to ride in the Horsemanship Day Camp.

FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
The Putney School Summer Arts
Putney, VT

The Putney School Summer Arts
Outdoors, Indoors

Dates: Jun 27-Jul 24, 2021; Age Range of Participants: 14-17yo
Contact: 802-387-6297 ♦ summer@putneyschool.org ♦ summer.putneyschool.org

Putney Summer Arts is a summer camp like no other. Over the course of four weeks, participants will have dedicated and focused time every day to grow as an artist in a supportive community where they can truly be themselves. Whether they’re trying something for the first time or honing their craft, Putney Summer Arts faculty will be there to guide them on their individual path. All of this happens on their beautiful 500-acre campus in Southern Vermont. Putney Summer Arts is currently monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic. All on-campus programming will be designed to follow recommended safety precautions as outlined by the Center for Disease Control and the state of Vermont.

FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
Amherst Montessori School
Summer Discovery
Amherst, MA

Photo of adult and child learning together in a garden with text overlay: Amherst Montessori School.
Outdoors. Indoors.

Dates: June 28-August 6, 2021; Age Range of Participants: 15mo-6yo
Contact: 413-253-3101
♦ jhesse@amherstmontessori.org 
♦ amherstmontessori.org

Amherst Montessori School will offer two 3-week play-based Summer Discovery sessions for ages 15 months through 6 years old. Children will spend much of their time outside, engaging in games, movement activities, arts and crafts, and exploring the natural world of the school’s south Amherst campus. Each 3-week session will have a limited number of children in separated cohorts for toddlers and preschool/kindergarten age. Children who nap will do so inside their cohort’s designated classroom space, with ERV ventilation and air-purifiers. Summer Discovery runs from 8:30am-4pm daily and is $350/week.

FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
The Experimentory at Deerfield Academy
Deerfield MA

Logo for The Experimentory at Deerfield Academy Periscope program.
Virtual.

Dates: July 5-23, 2021
Age Range: 11-14yo 
Contact: 413-774-1498
♦ experimentory@deerfield.edu 
♦ deerfield.edu

The Experimentory at Deerfield Academy is a program for students entering 7th, 8th, or 9th grade interested in academic adventure. This summer, The Experimentory will be offered as an exciting virtual program called Periscope. Periscope will allow students to delve into project-based creative learning, focusing on collaboration, communication, fostering creativity, building character, and developing a global outlook. Students will participate in courses like Architecture, the Science of Sports, Video Production, and Environmental Stewardship, all designed and led by Deerfield Academy teachers. Also, students will form deep connections with like-minded peers around the world, learn more about themselves, and have tons of fun! Applications submitted after March 29th will be reviewed on a rolling basis as capacity allows.

FEATURED SCHOOL
Amherst Montessori
Amherst, MA

The Putney School Summer Arts
Apply now for the 2021-22 school year.

Families are invited to discover the warm, welcoming community of Amherst Montessori School, with dedicated teachers, administrators, and fellow parents who strive to create a sense of belonging for each child and family. Prospective families are encouraged to set-up a virtual or socially-distanced outside tour with the Director of Admissions & Learning Support, Julie Tanguay. Explore the hands-on, child-centered Montessori curriculum, and learn about the engaging community of Amherst Montessori School. Apply now for the 2021-22 school year. Schedule options from a partial day to a full day with extended hours. More information at amherstmontessori.org.

The Academy at Charlemont is an independent day school for grades 6-12, with rolling admission for select grades now open. Join faculty, students, and admission staff on March 23rd and 28th for robust, one-hour, virtual Information Sessions. The Academy is excited to welcome prospective families to hear about their one-of-a-kind educational experience, complete with rigorous courses, diverse electives, personalized college counseling, a spacious campus located along the Deerfield River, and a safe and inclusive community. Generous financial aid and daily round-trip bus service from Greenfield, Amherst, Northampton, and the Hilltowns are available. Learn more and register here

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Class Directory

Class Directory

Discover virtual & adapted programming in our Class Directory for Western MA

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Preschool Directory

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List of Weekly Suggested Events

SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2021
Graphic for NERD Summit 2021, an inclusive, community building annual tech event held in New England. March 19-21, 2021.
FEATURED EVENT: NERD Summit 2021

ASTRONOMY. 7am. 6:30pm. Spring Equinox with the UMass Amherst Astronomy Department (Virtual) 

NORDIC SKIING. Daylight. Notchview in Windsor, MA (In-Person) 

FILM STUDIESPioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival (Virtual) 

ORNITHOLOGY. 8am. Waterfowl at Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary (Easthampton, MA) 

ORNITHOLOGY. 9am. Birding Workshop: Winter Finches (Pittsfield, MA) 

SUGAR SEASON. 9:30am-4pm. Maple Days at Old Sturbridge Village (In-Person)  

SING-ALONG. 10am. Jones Library Kids Room Presents: Stuffed Animal Sing-Along with Julie Stepanek (Virtual) 

CRITICAL THINKING. 10am. Boardgames with the Meekins Library (Virtual) 

AVIATION. 10am. Women Take Flight at the New England Air Museum (Windsor Locks, CT) 

NATURALIST SKILLS. 10am. Spring Observations at Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary (Hampden, MA) 

HORTICULTURE. 10:30am. Fruit Tree Grafting (Virtual) 

AEROSPACE. 10:30am-2:30pm. Women Take Flight at the New England Air Museum. (Hybrid) 

WORLD CULTURE. 11am. Scotland: Loch Ness and Edinburgh Scotland (Virtual) 

ART STUDIES. 11am. Pastel Painting with Grace Hall Memorial Library (Virtual) 

FOOD TRADITIONS. 11am-2pm. Massachusetts Maple Weekend at Hager’s Farm Market (Shelburne, MA) 

LOCAL FOOD. 11am-2pm. Holyoke Winter Farmers’ Market (Holyoke, MA) 

PLAYGROUP. 12pm. Playgroup at Perry Lane Park (Agawam, MA) 

NUTRITIONAL ANTHROPOLOGY. 1pm.  Teach-In: Traditional Foods Sustain our Bodies and Spirits Webinar (Virtual) 

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. 1pm. Community Day with the National Museum of African American History & Culture (Virtual)  

CULTURAL HERITAGE. 2pm. Screening of The Devil’s Footstep: A New Vision of Early Native Life (Virtual) 

CIRCUS ARTS. 3pm. Improvisation with Circus Smirkus (Virtual) 

PLACEMAKING. 4pm. Spring Equinox Celebration at TurnPark Art Space (West Stockbridge, MA) 

COMMUNITY MEAL. 5:30pm. Corned Beef Dinner with Burgy Bullets (Haydenville, MA) 

MAGIC. 6pm. Magic Workshop (Virtual)  

WORLD HISTORY. 6pm. Eastern Europe: History & Culture of Budapest Hungary (Virtual) 

ASTRONOMY. 6:30pm. Spring Equinox with the UMass Amherst Astronomy Department (Virtual) 

ORNITHOLOGY. 6:45pm. Dance of the American Woodcock (Easthampton, MA) 

PERFORMANCE ART. 7pm. Shrek, The Musical with Exit 7 Players Theater (Virtual) 

NATURALIST SKILLS. 7-8:30pm. Starlight Owl and Wildlife Prowl at Post Farm Marsh (Lenox, MA) 

ARCHAEOLOGY. 8pm. Historical Tour of Pompeii Italy (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
SPRING EQUINOX

EVENT: Spring Equinox with the UMass Amherst Astronomy Department (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
ORNITHOLOGY

EVENT: Waterfowl at Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary (Easthampton, MA)

What It’s Like to Be a Bird

SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2021
Graphic for NERD Summit 2021, an inclusive, community building annual tech event held in New England. March 19-21, 2021.
FEATURED EVENT: NERD Summit 2021

FILM STUDIESPioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival (Virtual) 

NORDIC SKIING. Daylight. Notchview in Windsor, MA (In-Person) 

SUGAR SEASON. 9:30am-4pm. Maple Days at Old Sturbridge Village (In-Person)  

AVIATION. 10am. Women Take Flight at the New England Air Museum (Windsor Locks, CT) 

LOCAL FOOD. 10am-2pm. Easthampton Farmers’ Market (Easthampton, MA) 

PERFORMANCE ART. 2pm. Shrek, The Musical with Exit 7 Players Theater (Virtual)  

HISTORY. 2pm. Histories of American Protest and Activism with Historic Deerfield (Virtual) 

FIBER ARTS. 10am. Learn to Wet Felt with Lander Grinspoon Academy (Ages 3-6) (Virtual) 

LOCAL FOOD. 10am-2pm. Winter Farmers’ Market in Easthampton, MA (In-Person) 

NATURAL HISTORY. 11am. Antarctica: History, Landscape, & Wildlife (Virtual) 

RELIGIOUS HISTORY. 6pm. April holidays (Easter & Passover): Explore their Origins (Virtual) 

PERFORMANCE ART. 7pm. 2pm. Shrek, The Musical with Exit 7 Players Theater (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
THEATER STUDIES

EVENT: Shrek, The Musical with Exit 7 Players Theater (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
FOOD STUDIES

EVENT: Winter Farmers’ Market in Easthampton, MA (In-Person)

Salamander Dance by David FitzSimmons

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

FILM STUDIESPioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival (Virtual) 

STEM. 10am. Teen DIY Rock Candy Take-home with Southwick Public Library (Take Home) 

PreK MUSIC. 10:30am. Sing With Your Little Ones with Pelham Library (Virtual) 

LITERACY. 11am. Kindergarten Write and Read in Great Barrington 

PLAYGROUP. 9:30-11:30am. Preschool Play Program in Great Barrington 

PreK LITERACY. 11am. Virtual Storytime with Hubbard Memorial Library (Virtual)  

PreK LITERACY. 11am & 2pm. Storytime at the Amelia Park Children’s Museum (In-Person) 

LITERATURE. 6:30pm. Discover the Remarkable Life of Beatrix Potter with Storrs Library (Virtual)  

WORLD CULTURE. 7pm. History & Culture of Ethiopia Through the 21st Century (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
STEM

EVENT: Teen DIY Rock Candy Take-home with Southwick Public Library (Take Home)

Self-Directed Learning:
LITERATURE

EVENT: Discover the Remarkable Life of Beatrix Potter with Storrs Library (Virtual) 

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021
FEATURED EVENT: “The Right to Vote: Reexamining Women’s Suffrage” (Free/Virtual)

MUSIC STUDIES. 9am. Bird Flight Patterns and Music with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra (Virtual) 

PLAYGROUP. 10am. Playgroup with Hatfield Library. (Email for Zoom link) kids.hatfieldlibrary@gmail.com (Virtual) 

PreK LITERACY 10am. Story Hour with Greenfield Public Library (Email for Zoom link) librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org (Virtual) 

NEW ENGLAND HISTORY. 11am Tours of Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, MA (In-Person)  

STEAM. 3pm. STEAM Tours at Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, MA (In-Person)  

PARENTING WORKSHOP. 6:30pm. Family Dynamics (Virtual) Email for link: bhanna@bbbs-fc.org 

GARDENING. 7-8:30pm. Building Soil in the Garden with Northeast Organic Farming Association (Virtual)  

GARDENING. 7-8:30pm. Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Beneficial Critters with the Whately Public Library (Virtual)  

WORLD HISTORY. 7pm. Return to the Holy Land: Tour Religious Sites from the Land of Judea and Samaria (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
SOIL SCIENCE

EVENT:Building Soil in the Garden with NOFA (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
ENTOMOLOGY

EVENT: Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Beneficials (Virtual) 

Natural History: The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021
Naturally Curious : A Photographic Field Guide and Month-By-Month Journey Through the Fields, Woods, and Marshes of New England

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

PreK DEVELOPMENT. 9:30am. Grow Play & Learn Weekly Group with Hubbard Memorial Library (Virtual) 

PreK PLAYGROUP. 10am Music & Movement with the Montague Libraries (Virtual) 

PreK LITERACY. 10:30am. Lenox Library Outside Story Time (In-Person) 

NEW ENGLAND HISTORY. 11am Tours of Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, MA (In-Person) 

ARTS & CRAFTS. 11am & 2pm. Crafts at Amelia Park Children’s Museum (In-Person) 

MINDFULNESS. 2:45pm. Teen Mindfulness Course with the Tilton Library (Virtual) 

STEAM. 3pm. STEAM Tours at Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, MA (In-Person)  

LOCAL HISTORY. 5pm. History of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans (Virtual) 

PARENT WORKSHOP. 6:30pm. Communication and Play: A Parent/Caregiver Training with Southwick Public Library (Virtual) 

WILD EDIBLES. 7pm. Exploring Wild Edibles on the Housatonic River Walk with Becket Athenaeum (Virtual) 

ECOLOGY. 7pm. Reading Nature: Braiding Sweetgrass with Forbes Library (Virtual) 

FIBER ARTS. 7-8:30pm. Rug Braiding with Dickinson Memorial Library (Virtual) Email for link: dmemlib@gmail.com 

ORNITHOLOGY. 7-8:30pm. Birding By Ear (Virtual) 

CHESS. 7pm. Animated Chess Class (Virtual) 

SOCIAL JUSTICE. 7-8:30pm. Lifting the Veil: Racism in Franklin County (Virtual) 

PUPPETRY. 7:30pm. Puppet and Spirit: Living Gods, Demonic Snakes, Robotic Buddhas, and Migrant Relics (Virtual)

Self-Directed Learning:
CHESS

EVENT: Animated Chess Class (Virtual) RESOURCE:Chess as Educational Enrichment

Self-Directed Learning:
WILD EDIBLES

EVENT: Exploring Wild Edibles on the Housatonic River Walk (Virtual)

FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021

LIVING HISTORY. 9:30am-4pm. Home School Day at Old Sturbridge Village (In-Person) 

PreK LITERACY. 10:30am. Storytime with the Lenox Library (Virtual) 

PreK LITERACY. 10am. Virtual Story Hour with Greenfield Public Library (Email for Zoom link) librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org 

PLAYGROUP. 10:30am. Art Museum Playdate with the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Virtual) 

NEW ENGLAND HISTORY. 11am Tours of Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, MA (In-Person)  

STEAM. 3pm. STEAM Tours at Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, MA (In-Person)  

PASTRY ARTS. 4pm. Bake With Me! Royal Icing Sugar Cookies (Virtual) 

HISTORY. 6pm. P.T. Barnum: The Man, the Myth, the American Icon with Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum (Virtual)  

GARDENING. 6:30pm. Learn about beneficial insects with the Arms Library (Virtual)  

VERNAL POOLS. 7pm. Spring Migration of Frogs & Salamanders with Mass Audubon (Virtual) 

WORLD CULTURE. 7pm. Paris: Tour The River Seine (Virtual) 

WORLD CULTURE. 7pm. Ethiopia’s Landscapes & Magnificent Culture (Virtual) 

THEATER STUDIES. 7:30pm. Interactive Online Play in Two Worlds with Silverthorne Theater Co. (Virtual)  

ORNITHOLOGY. 7:30pm Viewing of the Woodcock at Cass Meadow North (Athol, MA) 

MUSIC STUDIES. 8pm. Juilliard String Quartet hosted by Amherst College (Virtual) 

Self-Directed Learning:
PASTRY ARTS

EVENT: Royal Icing Sugar Cookies (Virtual) 

Self-Directed Learning:
CULINARY ARTS

RESOURCE: Recipe for Roasted Carrots

The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

Weekly eNewsletter

Online and in-person events and resources shared above are done so as a courtesy and not as an endorsement. While we do our best to share accurate and up-to-date information, please take the time to confirm information, age appropriateness, registration requirements, safety protocols, and associated costs.

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Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Agawam, Amherst, Buckland, Charlemont/Hawley, Chester, Chesterfield, Chicopee, Colrain, Deerfield, Easthampton, Gill, Goshen, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Heath, Holyoke, Huntington, Leyden, New Salem, Northern Berkshire, Northfield, Palmer, Pelham, Plainfield, Rowe, Shelburne, South Hadley, Tolland, Tyringham, Windsor, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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