WOONSOCKET, R.I. – The Museum of Work & Culture is excited to launch a free, bi-weekly virtual summer education series: Hands-on History: Summer Spotlight Rhode Island for ages 4-7, beginning Tuesday, July 7 at 9:30am.
Each week will feature a different aspect of Rhode Island’s performing arts history, with registered families receiving all necessary materials in a pre-emailed packet. Programs will include:
Tuesday, July 7: All That Jazz
Participants will learn about jazz music and culture, learning some of the genre's traditional lingo, famous names, and ties to Rhode Island history. Children will also be able to get in the swing of things with provided, personalizable accessories. The program will end with the children creating their own jazz song!
Tuesday, July 21: Dance Around the World
Children will explore the dances of different Rhode Island immigrant groups. Museum educators will lead participants through a brief history of these groups and their cultural dances. Children can also get into the rhythm by learning traditional dance steps and moves!
Tuesday, August 4: I’ve Got No Strings
In our puppetry program, participants will learn about the history of the artform, including finger, stick, and shadow puppets. A professional puppet master will make a guest appearance! Children will also be able to create their own puppets, using provided materials.
Tuesday, August 18: Vaudeville & Variety
Children will learn about the fascinating and diverse world of vaudeville and variety shows. Museum educators will guide students through the history of vaudeville in Rhode Island, including its biggest acts and performers. In the second half of the program, the children will put on their own variety show, in which each child can perform and showcase their own unique talent!
Families can register for programs by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
This program is made possible with the support of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.
About the Museum of Work & Culture
The interactive and educational Museum of Work & Culture shares the stories of the men, women, and children who came to find a better life in Rhode Island’s mill towns in the late 19th- and 20th centuries. It recently received a Rhode Island Monthly Best of Rhode Island Award for its SensAbilities Saturdays all-ability program.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
Founded in 1822, the RIHS, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is the fourth-oldest historical society in the United States and is Rhode Island’s largest and oldest historical organization. In Providence, the RIHS owns and operates the John Brown House Museum, a designated National Historic Landmark, built in 1788; the Aldrich House, built in 1822 and used for administration and public programs; and the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, where archival, book and image collections are housed. In Woonsocket, the RIHS manages the Museum of Work and Culture, a community museum examining the industrial history of northern Rhode Island and of the workers and settlers, especially French-Canadians, who made it one of the state’s most distinctive areas.
The nation marked yet another grim milestone yesterday, recording the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in one day since May. The toll was almost 15-hundred, pushing the U.S. ever closer to 170-thousand deaths. The staggering loss of life comes amid an ongoing push to reopen the nation's schools. 
