Their next two events are Dec 21st and Dec 22nd, register for these free educational events online here!
Long ago, way back in late 2019, in what feels like another lifetime, the Education Department of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential got together and made a list of bold new ideas and concepts for possible programming in 2020. Tiny kernels of ideas popped around the office as we developed a multitude of innovative, engaging, and exciting new programming ideas. We were invigorated by the possibilities, inspired by our new director, Heather Nice, and motivated to make it our best year yet. Yes, the Educators of the ALPLM stood together staring at the horizon with determination, inspiration, and promise. 2020 was going to be great!
Then COVID happened.
Our small but mighty team was scattered to our separate home offices and we were faced with a brand-new challenge. What could be done with those bright and shiny ideas and concepts? We believed in them, we cherished them, we were proud of them. So, after a few weeks of adjusting to daily Zoom calls, working in house shoes, and water cooler chats with our new office mates (spouses, children, and pets), we picked ourselves up, had a crash course in Zoom technology, and did a fun little pivot.
We realized early in quarantine that we were fully capable of delivering those same programs and events in the digital world. Equipped with an expert in distance learning, we took those sparks of ideas and plugged them into our PCs. We knew that we needed to engage with our community now more than ever.
It started small. Little Lincoln’s Fireside Tales invites children 0 to 5 years old (Pre-K) and their caregivers to share in an exciting story time with our Education staff and the occasional special visitor. Every 4th Tuesday we focus on a specific theme. Incorporating arts and crafts, creative song and dance, or hands-on activities to supplement the stories being read. We designed LLFT to be a live, in-person event. The first two official programs in January and February went off without a hitch. Pivoting an interactive storytime to the virtual world felt daunting. I worried that I would lose the engagement of story time. I wondered what wiggle time would look like if we didnât have our rainbow carpet beneath our feet or egg shakers in hand. I was pleasantly surprised to find that virtual storytime afforded me a wealth of new opportunities. We got creative with the tech and enhanced the program. We implemented fun âwaiting roomâ music to set the tone before the main event. When we highlighted Bugs for Aprilâs theme, we created a virtual bug hunt. As we, the storytellers, panned cameras around our respective offices, the kids at home squealed and giggled when they spotted Mort the Moth hiding behind a curtain, Barbara the Butterfly peeking out from a drawer, and Wanda the Walking Stick perched on a desk lamp. The newly found bug would fly off camera and a digital version would appear on their screen having made its way safely back to Bugville. Using the tech available, we made an interactive, exciting, and seamless activity that we all enjoyed.
The virtual platform is not without its faults. For Halloweenâs LLFT we had a socially distanced costume party. Dressed as a skeleton and a princess, our storytellers shared fun stories about this spooky time of year. When my WIFI decided to crash halfway through Room on the Broom, my skilled and steady co-host improvised, asking each kid in the audience to talk about their costumes. When my WIFI came back from the dead, I found that the program had not missed a beat. The kids were still happy, entertained, engaged, and the show went on!
Jr. Historians Reading Club went Virtual as well. This program, geared towards tweens and teens, was meant to bring book enthusiasts together to celebrate Lincolnâs love of reading. Since the pandemic hit before Reading Club was officially launched, we found transitioning book club to the virtual world to be an easy lift. Again, we took full advantage of the tech and implemented polls, waiting room music, and little breaks where we play quick videos related to the selected books. We incorporated printable activities to complement the books and encourage creative writing and further reflection on the stories. Reading Club has become one of the highlights in my work world. The kids are so engaged and willing to share their thoughts and feelings. The virtual environment creates this delightful contradiction in that our groups feel close and intimate in pouring over our stories and sharing our opinions and yet the distance between us, and the fact that weâre comfortably at home in our own space, we feel far enough away that we donât feel intimidated by our peers. We share thought-provoking insights, we challenge each other respectfully, and we build upon each otherâs statements.
Virtual programming has also extended our reach. Little Lincolnâs Fireside Tales and Reading Club were meant to bring local children into the museum. Providing programming virtually allows Jr. Historians, book lovers, future scholars, and dear friends from all over the country, and the world, to attend, participate, and share the experience. Weâve had the honor of interacting with brilliant participants from places like Scotland, the Philippines, Connecticut, and Oregon! Virtual programming has offered us the opportunity to make wonderful new friends from faraway places.
It has also allowed us to collaborate and coordinate with other departments of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The facility has an extremely talented and creative team of technical engineers who have helped us put on some of our most memorable programs. In August, we hosted an event called, âJunior Historians Live! Goes Behind the Scenes.â For one afternoon the Education Department âtook overâ the ALPLM. Equipped with cell phone cameras, expert knowledge of the facility, and a couple co-conspirators, our staff roamed the areas of the museum and library that the public rarely sees. Our tech team enabled smooth transitions between segments, provided excellent sound, and set up a very realistic looking ânewsroomâ setting from which our hosts could interact with the audience at home and our âreportersâ in the field. From the comfort and safety of their homes, our Junior Historians were able to walk the catwalk over Union Theater, step carefully onto the walkable grid dozens of feet over the Plaza, and creep into the stacks way underground beneath the library. It was so fun to put on this style of program, one that we never would have had the guts to attempt had we not become so familiar with virtual programming and all the perks that come with it.
Equipped with the confidence of our successes and our newly acquired skilled in the world of virtual programming, we look forward to offering more programs from a distance. Because of the success of Summer Reading Club, we decided to extend it throughout the year. Our bi-monthly book club kicked off this October where we discussed Neil Gaimanâs Coraline in preparation for Halloween. On December 21st, we will reconvene to talk about The Vanderbeekers of 141st St. by Katrina Yan Glaser. In this fun holiday story, the five Vanderbeeker children have lived in their familyâs beloved brownstone in Harlem nearly their entire lives. Just before the holidays, their reclusive and grumpy landlord, Mr. Beiderman, announces he will not be renewing the familyâs lease, completely upending their lives and potentially ruining Christmas! The five Vanderbeeker children band together to devise a plan to get him to let them stay. We invite our guests to grab some cookies and hot cocoa and join us as we discuss this cozy and festive tale, full of the warmth and humor we find in our own homes around the holidays.
But our virtual programming doesnât stop with our younger audiences. We have started implementing fun for the whole family. Our Back to School Bash in August saw our first-ever, completely virtual Family Trivia Night. Participants teamed up from their homes and answer eight rounds of trivia questions on topics ranging from U.S. history, Lincolnâs lifetime, and the Civil War. We had such an overwhelmingly positive response from that first trivia event that we were able to host a second in September. To welcome the cold winter months and keep the fun going, we held our third trivia night on Friday, December 18th with the theme âWinter, Holidays, and SnowâŠOh My!â Families were encouraged to make some popcorn and cocoa, decide on an intimidating team name, and test their wits on Winter Pop Culture, Traditions from Around the World, and Frosty Film Freeze Frames. We look forward to hosting more trivia nights in the coming year. Stay tuned to our events page for information.
These are just two examples of our successes during the pandemic, but they give me hope and inspiration. Those tiny kernels of ideas could have been boxed up and placed on a shelf marked âTBDâ but instead we ran with them. We made them work and we overcame an obstacle that none of us had anticipated in that lively brainstorming session way back in 2019.
2020 has not looked like we thought it would. We are all still adjusting. We are all still doing our best. But in this crazy, uncertain world, you can count on the Education Department of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to bring you exciting and engaging programming in the comfort of your own home.
To join Ms. Corinne and the ALPLM staff in these exciting programs, please visit our Upcoming Events page to register.
