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"Thank you so much for bringing the 'Ride Into History' program to Falls City this summer. A few days after the final performance, [my daughter] said, kind of out of the blue, 'You know, I think "Ride Into History" changed my life.' I asked her why, and she pondered a little and then said, 'Because there's so much I didn't know about, and it's right under my nose.'" - mother of participant in "Ride Into History" |
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The letter above is from First Lady Michelle Obama. She writes:
"Thank you for writing me in the White House! Your letters are so wonderful, and I appreciate the effort each one of you put into your note. As I say to my daughters, it's important to always do your best.
"Many of you asked about Malia and Sasha, and I want you to know that they really enjoy living in the White House and discovering the history that surrounds them in our new home. But it's not just our house -- it's yours too! The White House is a place that all Americans should treasure and enjoy.
"So keep up the good work, and know that everything you need to accomplish your dreams is inside of you. With a lot of hard work, you can do anything!
Sincerely,
Michelle Obama" |
Youth Programs
Youth Programs | Past Chautauqua Camps
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| Falls City youth gathered to learn about the 1930s and to write letters to First Lady Laura Bush, just as children in the 1930s wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt. Photo by Randy Gottula. |
Chautauqua offers a variety of youth programs to engage participants in the history of the 1930s and of their local community. All youth programs are free, but registration may be required.
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| Hastings youth Miranda Scoggins portrayed Elinor Barber (right), a local pianist, in Youth Chautauqua Camp. |
Youth Chautauqua Camp
(Grades 4th-8th)
Monday-Friday of Chautauqua Week
Registration required
Click on community name for schedule with registration information, dates, location, and times: Colby, KS, Belleville, KS, Columbus, NE, North Platte, NE
Click on community name for registration form: North Platte, NE form
Youth Chautauqua Camp provides students in 4th-8th grade the opportunity to become historians, researchers, scriptwriters, and actors. The five-day camp allows participants to identify and research a local historical figure of the 1930s and portray that person under the tent on the final evening of Chautauqua. The camp allows participants to uncover fascinating local stories and learn valuable research and performance skills in the process! The Youth Chautauqua Camp is taught by Ann Birney and Joyce Thierer, co-owners of Ride Into History.
Click here for a photo gallery of past Youth Chautauqua Camps.
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| Eleanor Roosevelt [Photo courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library] |
Dear Eleanor, Dear Michelle
(Ages 8 and up)
Friday of Chautauqua Week
10:00 AM
Registration Recommended
Click on community name for schedule with registration information, dates, location,
and times:
Colby, KS,
Belleville, KS,
Columbus, NE,
North Platte,
NE
Click on community name for poster and registration form: North Platte, NE poster, North Platte, NE form
If you could write a letter to the First Lady of the United States, what would you write? During the Great Depression of the 1930s, children from all over the country sent letters to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. In the letters, children asked Mrs. Roosevelt for everything from a pair of roller skates to food for their family. Participants in this workshop will become historians-in-training as they research the letters and learn about the 1930s. At the end of the workshop, they will write a letter to First Lady Michelle Obama.
Iconic Images
(Grades 9th –12th)
Pre-Chautauqua Workshop
Registration Required
Click on community name for schedule with registration information, dates, locations,
and times:
Colby, KS,
Belleville, KS,
Columbus, NE,
North
Platte, NE
1930s photographers, like Dorothea Lange, captured the hardship and despair of the Great Depression in images that are still powerful today. Aspiring photographers will have the opportunity to study historic local images from the 1930s and to create their own images of contemporary life in the Iconic Images workshop.
Click on the community name to see images from the 1930s in Colby, KS, Belleville, KS, Columbus, NE, and North Platte, NE.
Click on the community name to see 2010 images from Iconic Images participants in Colby, KS, Belleville, KS, Columbus, NE, and North Platte, NE.
Making Murals with Folktales: How Butterflies Were Made
(Children preschool age and above)
Thursday of Chautauqua Week
10:30 a.m.
Registration Recommended
Presented by Wanda Schell
Click on community name for schedule with registration information, dates, location,
and times:
Colby, KS,
Belleville, KS,
Columbus, NE,
North
Platte, NE
Click on community name for poster and registration form: North Platte, NE poster, North Platte, NE form
Zora Neale Hurston compiled folktales for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from her home state of Florida. One folktale tells how the colorful butterflies were created to keep the flowers company and how they came to be called butterflies. In this workshop, children will listen to the vibrant story told by “Zora” and will then talk about the tale and compare it to the world they live in today. They will create a mural based on the images in the folktale and related images from their own experiences. The mural will be photographed and displayed on the website.
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