Hilltown Families 
Learning Ahead: Cultural Itineraries for Western Massachusetts
Who am I? Where am I? These are the fundamental questions proposed by the humanities. Inquiries related to local history, literature, and education, inspire us to think deeply about the places where we live and how our identity fits into the context of our community and the seasons.
This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Learning Ahead: Cultural Itinerary for Western Massachusetts is a bimonthly publication produced by Hilltown Families that sheds light on embedded learning opportunities found in cultural resources that exist within the geography, history, and cultural traditions of Western Massachusetts. With these downloadable seasonal itineraries, self-directed teens, lifelong learners, and families are encouraged to engage together in cultural opportunities that support similar interests, resulting in a shared history, strengthening a sense of place.
Download your free copy:
- Season: January & February
- Season: March & April
- Season: May & June
- Season: July & August
- Season: September & October
- Season: November & December
Season: January & February
Look for supporting posts on our website each week as you move through the season with your cultural itinerary in hand (links below).
Special thank you to sponsors of this issue:
The Trustees of Reservations ♦ Springfield Museums
- Winter Landscape
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Ice Harvesting
- African American History
- Winter Festivals
- Valentine’s Day
- Presidents’ Day
- Winter Farmers’ Markets
- Winter Silence
Season: March & April
Look for supporting posts on our website each week as you move through the season with your cultural itinerary in hand (links below).
Special thank you to sponsors of this issue, including:
The Trustees of Reservations ♦ New England Air Museum
- Maple Syrup Harvest
- Learning Ahead: Early Spring is Sugar Season
- Maple Syrup: Native American Traditions & New England History
- Living History Museums During Sugar Season
- Sugar Shacks & Shared Meals Support Connections & Culture
- Art & Literature of Seasonal Living: The Maple Tree
- Early Spring Food Tradition: Pancakes & Maple Syrup
- Vernal Pools & Baby Animals
- Women’s History Month
- Bird Migration
- National Poetry Month
- Spring Holidays: Easter & Passover
- Earth Day
- Sheep Shearing
Season: May & June
Look for supporting posts on our website each week as you move through the season with your cultural itinerary in hand (links below).
Special thank you to sponsors of this issue, including Thornes Marketplace.
- Mother’s Day
- Farmers’ Markets
- Memorial Day
- Spring Harvest
- Spring Wildflowers
- Father’s Day
- Summer Trails
- Berkshire Mountains
Season: July & August
Look for supporting posts on our website each week as you move through the season with your cultural itinerary in hand (links below).
Special thank you to sponsors of this issue, including New England Air Museum.
- Independance Day
- Outdoor Concerts
- Summer Storms
- Berries
- Vacation
- Fishing
- Summer Wildflowers & Gardens
- Summer Camping
- Boating
Season: September & October
Look for supporting posts on our website each week as you move through the season with your cultural itinerary in hand (links below):
- Agricultural Fairs
- Back-to-School
- One-Room Schoolhouse: Connecting to Place through Literature & History
- Community-Based Education Resources: One-Room Schoolhouses
- Learning through the Lens of One-Room Schoolhouses: Featured 2016 Events
- Who Were the Fireside Poets?
- History of Education: A Lesson
- Contemporary Conversations About Education
- Apple Harvest
- Fall Festivals
- Nature Trails
- Fall Foliage
- The Grand View of Fall Foliage in Western MA
- Community-Based Resources: Plein Air Painting in the Autumn
- Art History: Summit of Mt. Holyoke
- Science of Autumn Leaves
- Think About This: Fall Foliage and a Sense of Place
- Fall Phenology Inspires Science-Based Learning in Local Landscape
- The Art & Science of Autumn Leaves
- Pumpkin Harvest
- Halloween
Season: November & December
Look for supporting posts on our website each week as you move through the season with your cultural itinerary in hand (links below).
Special thank you to sponsors of the Nov/Dec issue:
Montague Bookmill ♦ New England Air Museum ♦ Downtown Northampton Association ♦ Springfield Museums
- Harvest Season
- Veterans’ Day
- Thanksgiving
- Season of Gift Giving
- Non-Commercial Gift Giving: The Art of Sharing
- Traditional Crafts & Artisan Skills: Handmade Holiday Gift Idea
- Language Arts & Creativity: Handmade Holiday Gift Idea
- Science & Art: Handmade Holiday Gift Idea
- Fiber Arts, Math & Mindfulness: Handmade Holiday Gift Idea
- Culinary and Pastry Arts: Handmade Holiday Gift Idea
- Hilltown Families on Mass Appeal: Non-Commercial Gift Giving
- Christmas Tree Harvest
- Holiday Traditions
- Holiday Celebrations
- Winter Solstice
- New Year’s Eve/Day Traditions
This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
