Featured Events, Resources, & Opportunities

FEATURED EVENT

FEATURED SUMMER CAMP

Come to Bement for summer camp in Deerfield! A variety of programs, from day camp to outdoor adventure with AdventureEast to musical theater to digital storytelling, and much more, is offered for students entering kindergarten through grade 8. Registration is open, and programs are filling quickly. Check out their website Bement.org/Summer for information about all their programs. Contact the summer program coordinator at summer@bement.org with any questions.  

FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM

The Hilltown Youth Theatre Summer Workshop offers intensive leadership training in the arts for aspiring actors, artists, musicians, singers, and circus performers (flying trapeze, aerial fabrics, lyra, stilts & more!). Join Hilltown Youth faculty & guest artists Matthew Glassman, Seth Glier, Andrae Green, Scott Halligan, Arlie Hart, Laura Iveson, Larry Sampson, and other luminaries from the Valley’s social justice & performing arts communities under the stars to create this year’s outdoor, traveling spectacle, CORALINE. No experience is necessary. HS-aged participants can apply for the paid YouthCorps program. Sign up for a pre-workshop Recovery Intensive. (See Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre.) Hilltown Youth are pay-what-you-can programs. Contact: 413-625-2100. hyrt@hilltownyouth.org; hilltownyouth.org.

FEATURED SCHOOL

List of Weekly Suggested Events

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Self-Directed Learning: Language Arts/Poetry 

April is National Poetry Month! Let this national observation month be a catalyst for learning. Families can start with fun projects at home with Blackout Poetry and Book Spine Poetry and out in the community with annual events like Poem in Your Pocket Day. Explore the work of famous poets, including William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, and Safia Elhillo. For recommended titles, check out our posts, Six Novels Written in Verse and Books for Young Bards, and our archived column, One Clover & A Bee: Poems for Families to Learn & Love.

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Self-Directed Learning: Spring Flowers 

Albert Einstein said, “Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” During the spring, as nature bursts into bloom, help deepen your connection, which Einstein hinted by looking towards the emerging blossoms of flowering plants purposefully planted in gardens or self-seeded in the crevices of sidewalks or manicured lawns. Every spring, flower buds emerge and unfold into inviting blooms, an annual appearance rooted in past seasons. We can “look deep” into that past to learn about botany, ecology, art, and history. But to “understand everything better,” the beauty of a flower invites us into the present moment, where it can spark reverence and capture faith in the process of bud to bloom to seed. It is there that our understanding of “everything” can awaken. Pick a flowering plant nearest you this spring and spend a mindful moment with it every day. Use your camera or sketchpad to capture its unfolding process. Notice its pattern of opening, relationship with pollinators, variants of colors and tones, textures, and smells. Welcome a flowering tulip tree, azalea bush, or dandelion plant into your daily observations and appreciations. Use your senses to connect with the essence of your chosen plant and pair it with self-directed learning about plant science or natural history. Blending the two supports place-based education and strengthens a sense of place by cultivating respect for nature’s process and, ultimately, “understanding everything better.”

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Self-Directed Learning: River Walks 

A handful of local paths and trails provide access to the natural and human history contained on the banks of western Massachusetts rivers. From short, interpretive paths to remnants of ancient trail systems, these paths and trails bring families closer to the waters that sustain the landscape. Read more in our post, Urban And Rural River Walks and Trails Highlight Natural and Human History.

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Self-Directed Learning: Homesteading/Backyard Chickens 

There are many reasons to want to get involved in the homesteading movement, a trend toward self-reliance in daily living. Learning how to produce your food, clothing, or other products you use daily can be empowering. You might be motivated because you want to know where these things come from while wanting to cut down on your environmental impact. Growing a garden, raising chickens, making or swapping clothing, and building furniture can be fun! Plus, so much learning can happen, expanding your knowledge and skills. Homesteading is multifaceted and can cover horticulture, agriculture, textiles, cooking, and carpentry. An easy place to start is with a vegetable garden and a small flock of chickens. Learn about raising chickens in your backyard!

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Self-Directed Learning: Spring Flowers 

Albert Einstein said, “Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” During the spring, as nature bursts into bloom, help deepen your connection to, which Einstein hinted by looking towards the emerging blossoms of flowering plants purposefully planted in gardens or self-seeded in the crevices of sidewalks or manicured lawns. Every spring, flower buds emerge and unfold into inviting blossoms, an annual appearance rooted in past seasons. We can “look deep” into that past to learn about botany, ecology, art, and history. But to “understand everything better,” the beauty of a flower invites us into the present moment, where it can spark reverence and capture faith in the process of bud to bloom to seed. It is there that our understanding of “everything” can awaken. Pick a flowering plant nearest you this spring and spend a mindful moment with it every day. Use your camera or sketchpad to capture its unfolding process. Notice its pattern of opening, relationship with pollinators, variants of colors and tones, textures, and smells. Welcome a flowering tulip tree, azalea bush, or dandelion plant into your daily observations and appreciations. Use your senses to connect with the essence of your chosen plant and pair it with self-directed learning about plant science or natural history. Blending the two not only supports place-based education but also strengthens a sense of place by cultivating respect for nature’s process and, ultimately, “understanding everything better.”

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Self-Directed Learning: Art Studies 

In the second half of the 19th century, Paris was undeniably the center of the art world. Artists worldwide traveled to Paris to experience the dynamic and creative energy in the academies, museums, and salons. The Impressionists were notable for many women artists who joined the movement, among other reasons. The three so-called ‘grande dames’ of Impressionism were Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Marie Bracquemond. After Morisot married Edouard Manet’s brother, she and the artist became close friends. Manet significantly influenced Morisot’s work, and she often posed for him, perhaps most famously in his striking 1872 piece “Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets.” Despite the enormous impact of Morisot and the other women of Impressionism, their work continues to be overlooked. Get curious about art history through the lens of female Impressionists. Then, head to your local art gallery and museums to pursue primary source examples of historical and contemporary women artists. 

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Self-Directed Learning: Porcupine 

Native species are excellent community-based educational resources to support interests and education. Take the porcupine, an animal neighbor who lives in rocky outcrops and hollow trees in Western MA. Exploring porcupines can support interests in habitat conservation, animal biology, biomimicry, folk art, and Native American mythology. Get curious and propose questions to naturalists at your local conservation area. – What does a porcupine eat? Can they shoot their quills? What type of habitat do they prefer? When is their mating season? – These are all great questions to begin your lessons in learning through the lens of the porcupine.

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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, Bernardston, Buckland, Goshen, Greenfield , Hadley, Heath, Huntington, Lee, Montgomery, Northern Berkshire, Orange, Pelham, Plainfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Springfield, Tolland, Washington, Westhampton, Windsor, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.