Featured Events, Resources, & Opportunities

Autism Connections’ 31st Annual Autism Conference (virtual) on April 28 includes speakers, exhibitors, and breakout sessions on various topics of interest to people with autism, parents, caregivers, education agency, and education professionals. The two keynote speakers are Alix Generous, an #ActuallyAutistic advocate for advancing mental health reform and institutional treatment of autistic people, and Jed Baker, Ph.D., director of the Social Skills Training Project, an organization serving individuals with autism and social communication problems. Registration for parents/caregivers/people with autism is $50, and for agency professionals and educators, $100. Registrants will have access to the entire recorded conference until 7/29/22. 

The Institute for the Musical Art’s (IMA) residential music programs give girls access to top-notch facilities & instruments, veteran professional musicians & teachers, and musical exploration & collaboration. Explore Rock ‘n Roll (June 29-July3) offers girls 9-12 opportunities to explore instruments, to begin writing songs, and to participate in a concert. Teen Performance Program (Jul 8-17) offers girls 13-19 an opportunity to speak their truth through the medium of rock ‘n roll, gain confidence in performance abilities, improve musicianship, and develop collaborative leadership skills. Studio Recording, Engineering & Production (Aug 4-14) offers a hands-on studio recording seminar for women 16-22 who are ready to record their work and/or interested in engineering and producing. Dates: June 29-August 14, 2022; Age Range: Girls/young women 9-22yrs. Contact: 413-268-3074; info@ima.org; www.ima.org.

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

All aboard for the Easter Eggspress at the Connecticut Trolley Museum: April 9-10 & 15-16 from 10am-4pm. A great opportunity to visit the Easter bunny while learning about transportation & local history! Take a trolley ride operated by period-dressed motormen sharing historical information about the trolley cars & museum. The Easter Bunny will be roaming the grounds posing for pictures. Children will receive a surprise-filled Easter egg when they complete a Scavenger Hunt, make a Bunny Ear Craft, and visit the Fire Truck Museum. Earn up to 3 filled eggs! Cost: $13/Adults; $11/Kids ages 2-12. The Connecticut Trolley Museum is located in East Windsor, CT. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit  www.ct-trolley.org.

List of Weekly Suggested Events

[RETURN TO TOP]

Self-Directed Learning: Pottery

Pottery has been a part of human civilizations since the Neolithic era over 10,000 years ago! Much more than just a means of making dishes, pottery serves as a creative outlet for many artists. The slow development of the art and technology surrounding pottery speaks volumes about human civilization’s changes. Additionally, while pottery can be found in countless cultures worldwide, techniques, styles, and uses vary between cultures, and close study of various pieces of pottery can speak to the similarities and differences between cultures near and far. Exploring pottery through children’s literature provides a means for exploring culture and history. Rins Swentzell’s Children of Clay: A Family of Pueblo Potters spotlights a Tewa Indian family in New Mexico, who tell the story of their family’s and community’s history through a series of clay objects – allowing readers to learn about Tewa history and culture. Laban Carrick Hill’s Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave tells the true story of an enslaved man living in South Carolina during the early 1800s. Readers learn about 19th-century pottery techniques while also learning about the experience of slavery. – Get curious about pottery. Compare and contrast historical and contemporary uses, methods, and mediums. Read more in our post, Discovering History Through Pottery-Based Learning.

[RETURN TO TOP]

[RETURN TO TOP]

Self-Directed Learning: Libraries

Local libraries! An essential third space that supports community-based education through collaborative consumption, libraries offer much more than just books and A/V materials. Free community classes, PreK story hours & playgroups, spaces for gatherings, lending libraries of things, galleries, tech support, research assistance, and the list goes on! We’re a BIG fan here at Hilltown Families! Get familiar with your local libraries during National Library Week (April 3 – 9, 2022). Begin by learning about the history of the library and the amazing services and collections libraries can offer, then stop into your local library and get curious about the resources and learning opportunities just waiting to be discovered! Do you love your local libraries too? Please show them your support! Ask your local librarian how you can support these local treasures through direct action (i.e., volunteering, letters to your legislator, etc.).

[RETURN TO TOP]

[RETURN TO TOP]

Self-Directed Learning: Kites

April is National Kite Month! Kites lend themselves to lessons in geometry, physics, measurement, design, history, culture, literature, and more – and such lessons can be exciting and informative for kids of all ages. The best way to learn is by building and flying your very own kite! Kite Plan Base offers a database of over 1,500 kite plans. Their designs often require a basic understanding of geometry, measurement, and perhaps some physics to understand how the kite will fly. Carrying out one of their plans is an excellent way for older students to practice these concepts and expand their understanding. Families can also make a simple construction paper kite using sticks found outside. Other DIY ideas include: taking leftover wax or tissue paper to create a  colorful flying kites; stapling together printer paper for a  binoculars-shaped flying object; or turning paper shopping bags into uniquely decorated kites. These projects present an opportunity to practice cooperating, reading and following directions, motor-related skills like tracing and cutting, and using measurement tools, and allow plenty of space for kiddos to exercise their imagination and creativity! Read more in our post, April is National Kite Month.

[RETURN TO TOP]

[RETURN TO TOP]

Self-Directed Learning: River Otters

River otters! March and April is breeding season for North American river otters, a species native to western MA. Forty years ago, the North American river otter was considered extinct due to the loss of natural habitat. Due to conservation efforts, their populations have returned to the region in recent years! Learning through the lens of this native species can support learning about animal behavior and physiology, as well as ecology and conservation. Read more about the North American river otter in our post, The Ripple: River Otters in Western MA.

[RETURN TO TOP]

[RETURN TO TOP]

Self-Directed Learning: Sheep Shearing Season

Sheep-shearing is a great place to begin the conversation with your children about sheep’s influences on our culture here in New England. Seeing sheep being shorn with traditional tools while listening to tales being spun by the shearer can give kids a unique insight into our regional history and this historical trade. Asking questions about how wool is processed after a sheep has been shorn and how modern-day processing techniques might compare to the methods used in the Colonial era can support interests and lead to a lot of learning! Some use traditional tools, and others use modern electric tools for comparison. Check out sheep shearing at community events and local farms, including Wool Days at Old Sturbridge Village and the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Festival at the Cummington Fairgrounds. Read more in our Learning Ahead: Season of Sheep Shearing.

[RETURN TO TOP]

[RETURN TO TOP]

Self-Directed Learning: Pancakes

How does food bring your family together? Food interweaves into your family, and one thing is sure, food has a way of bringing families together both in the kitchen and around the table. Maybe you enjoy cooking with your kids, sharing family meals, shopping for locally grown and produced foods, or exchanging stories at the kitchen table. Fresh maple syrup is a welcomed addition to the breakfast table with a warm stack of pancakes during sugar season. Did you know that pancakes are over 6,000 years old? Although not in the present form we know today, the predecessors to the modern pancake consisted of ground wheat cooked in the form of a pancake. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans ate a type of pancake sweetened with honey! Later in history, American colonists ate pancakes, also known as Johnny Cakes. Modern-day technology and contemporary recipes have added to our cultural repertoire of recipes. For recipes submitted by families in Western Massachusetts, check out our post, “Seasons at Our Table: Maple Sugar.”

[RETURN TO TOP]

[RETURN TO TOP]

Self-Directed Learning: Phenology

Spring is an excellent time to pay attention to the seasonal changes that only happen this time of year. It’s a great opportunity to get curious about phenology! What is phenology? One online definition states, “Phenology is the study of periodic events in biological life cycles and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate, as well as habitat factors.” Families can help with studies of phenology! The National Phenology Network has developed Nature’s Notebook, a citizen science program that aims to get people outdoors to observe nature. Nature’s Notebook has an app and a website where citizen scientists can record observations to help scientists better understand how climate change is affecting plants in New England. The National Phenology Network needs volunteers to take part in many of Nature’s Notebook projects, of which there are several throughout the country. Independent, citizen science like Nature’s Notebook is a great way to connect with nature, learn about phenology, practice gathering data, and learn the basics of experimental design while contributing to a scientific study.

[RETURN TO TOP]

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.

Subscribe ♦ Advertising & Partnership Opportunities ♦ Learning Opportunities ♦ en Español

---

Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Agawam, Amherst, Becket, Bernardston, Buckland, Chicopee, Colrain, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Granby, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Heath, Hinsdale/Peru, Huntington, Leyden, Montgomery, Mount Washington, Northern Berkshire, Orange, Otis, Palmer, Pelham, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Tolland, Tyringham, Windsor, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.