Featured Events, Resources, & Opportunities

Hilltown CDC (HCDC) seeks to improve the quality of life for Hilltown residents by addressing economic, housing, education, social, & community needs while preserving the rural character of the area. Thanks to a generous grant from the MGCC, the HCDC offers FREE, confidential business assistance to Hilltown residents! If you’re thinking of starting or growing your business, HCDC can help. They have experts in various areas who can help entrepreneurs get on their feet, including website help, social media marketing, business tax & accounting, legal assistance, & more. Sign up for free virtual classes: hilltowndirectory.com/events. For more info, contact HCDC Economic Development Director Michele Kenney: MicheleK@Hilltowncdc.org; 413-354-1055

For over 40 years, Montessori School of Northampton has offered exciting and engaging summer workshops for children in the tradition of Italian educator Maria Montessori. Located near downtown Northampton, Route 9 and I-91, they offer 8 weeks of programming starting at 18 months old up to 8th grade. Their Toddler and Children’s House (pre/K) programs have half and full-day options available, with a strong teacher/student ratio, theme-based programming, and an expansive playground. Elementary and middle school workshops include Rock Band, Podcasting, Robotics, Digital Animation & Game Making, Outdoor Wilderness Adventures, Film & Videography, Visual Arts: Magical Creatures, LEGO Engineering w/ Minecraft and Unplugged Gaming, Graphic Novel/Comic Book Art.
Dates: June 27-August 19, 2022; Age Range: 18mo-14yo 
Contact: 413-563-4645 ♦ summer@northamptonmontessori.org ♦ msn.coursestorm.com

Living Rivers School students assist world-renowned river fish expert Dr. Boyd Kynard as he completes his second year of small fish habitat- and sea lamprey- data collection. He concludes three studies to determine the extent & quality of the Connecticut River fish habitat between the Holyoke & Turners Falls dams. Living Rivers School students are credited by name for their service in reports Dr. Kynard publishes in juried academic journals. They are invited to share their experience & findings with their schools & communities. This is a rare opportunity for students to get real conservation biology research experience & nurtured as future environmental leaders. Living Rivers School is Biocitizen’s best program—a life-changer & career-inspirer!
Dates: August 2-13, 2022; Age Range: 10-16yo
Contact: 413-320-0522 ♦ kheidinger@biocitizen.org ♦ ma.biocitizen.org

Montessori School of the Berkshires (MSB) inspires children to develop independent thinking, self-assurance, inner discipline, and a love of learning in an authentic Montessori environment. Serving children aged 15 months through grade 8 on 40 wooded acres, MSB supports each child’s innate curiosity and helps them develop focus and motivation, and embraces collaboration and cooperation. Engaging materials, designed for hands-on learning through all senses, are continually adapted to meet each child’s needs, interests, and development, so they are best prepared for the next level of education. Open 7:30am-3pm; extended coverage until 5:15 pm. Daycare & Preschool ♦ Ages 15mo-8th grade. For more information: info@berkshiremontessori.org; 413-637-3662; www.berkshiremontessori.org.

List of Weekly Suggested Events

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Self-Directed Learning: Baby Farm Animals

Farm life follows the path of the seasons. In March and April, it’s a time of new life on the farm when animals are born. The most place-based local baby animal-learning resources in Western Massachusetts are our local farms, many of which allow visitors to meet the animals they raise and rely upon for food and farm tasks. And at living history museums, folks can visit baby animals each spring, such as newborn lambs, calves, and piglets, while learning about historical farm practices. Read more in our post, Local Agriculture: Spring on the Farm.

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Self-Directed Learning: Symbiosis and Mutualism

Though the relationships between birds and insects are generally predator-prey, studying how birds and insects depend on each other can offer insight into the inner workings of the local landscape. By learning to identify insects and birds, families can explore the who-eats-who of their surroundings! Read more in our post, Studies of Birds and Insects Illuminate Interconnections in Nature, and get curious about symbiosis and mutualism.

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Self-Directed Learning: Tulips

In 1554, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire sent a handful of tulip bulbs to Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor. Who could have guessed that this simple act would lead to the world’s first-ever recorded economic bubble? It’s hard to say what caused the initial spike in tulip popularity in Europe and especially Holland. Still, it has been speculated that the vibrant colors of the tulip petals were unlike any other European flower in its hue and intensity. In any case, the popularity of tulips grew and grew over the years. The Netherlands, the world-leading economic power in the 17th century, was hit hardest by what would later be called ‘tulipmania.’ By 1634, the tulip industry had been opened up to market speculation. In 1636, the Dutch economy was utterly dominated by the humble tulip. Single tulip bulbs were being sold for ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsperson. A single bulb was traded for 12 acres of land in one instance. Massive fortunes were made overnight. Then, as quickly as it started, the tulip craze vanished. In February 1637, the price of tulips collapsed, and the entire industry fell apart. Modern economists have studied this bizarre episode as an example of the boom-and-bust or speculative bubble phenomenon. Check out tulips and a spectacular array of blossoming crocuses, hyacinths, narcissi, irises, and lilies at local greenhouses in your area, including the Smith College Lyman Conservatory, Mount Holyoke College Talcott Greenhouse, and the Fitzpatrick Conservatory at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Let the lens of this flowering beauty lead your learning in economics, human psychology, agricultural history, and botany!

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Self-Directed Learning: International Women’s Day

Over the years, March 8th, International Women’s Day, has become a hugely important date in struggles for freedom and justice. Beginning in New York City in 1909, International Women’s Day commemorates the women’s rights movements’ history and its continuing struggles. On March 8th, 1917, in Saint Petersburg, then the capital of the Russian Empire, a strike by female textile workers marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution. According to Leon Trotsky, one of the founders of the Soviet Union, while it was known that the textile workers were planning a strike, nobody knew that this event would kick off the momentous events which followed. Trotsky wrote that on that day, “textile workers left their work in several factories and sent delegates to ask for the support of the strike… which led to mass strike… all went out into the streets.” International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the women’s rights movement history.

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Self-Directed Learning: National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month, an excellent opportunity to inspire learning and healthy eating habits. Start by reading about the history of National Nutrition Month, then follow up by learning about physiology and biochemistry of nutrition, including metabolism, vitamins, calories, fats, water, and the impacts sugar & food have on the brain. Take your learning further by integrating what sparks your curiosity with the foods you consume. Research the nutritional composition of different favorite foods and how that may (or may not) be a part of a healthy diet. With this new knowledge and understanding of food and nutrition, head out to your local farmers’ market and food co-op to see what inspires you for your next family meal.

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Self-Directed Learning: Harriet Tubman

One famous “conductor” of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman (1822-1913). An escaped enslaved person herself, she risked her life to help approximately 300 enslaved people escape to freedom by making 19 return trips to the South through the Underground Railroad’s secret network of places and routes. The Network to Freedom, a National Park Service program, tells a story of the resistance to slavery: “Beginning in the 17th century and continuing through the mid-19th century in the United States, enslaved African Americans resisted bondage to gain their freedom through acts of self-emancipation. The individuals who sought this freedom from enslavement, known as freedom seekers, and those who assisted along the way, united together to become what is known as the Underground Railroad.” Harriet Tubman passed away on March 10, 1913. Let today inspire you to learn more about  Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and the stories of other freedom seekers.

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Self-Directed Learning: Women’s History Books

For more than thirty years, the National Women’s History Project has been devoted to “writing women back into history.” They created a national clearinghouse of multicultural women’s history, including information, materials, resources, referrals, training, and strategies to anyone interested in learning about women’s roles in American history. Their successful lobbying efforts led Congress to recognize March as Women’s History Month, which has become a time to celebrate the bold and beautiful, courageous and curious, strong, smart, and compassionate women in our collective history. We have so much to learn from their example, which is why we need to keep getting books about these women into children’s hands.” Read more in our post, Celebrating Women’s History with Children’s Picture Books.

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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, Greenfield, and Hadley Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.