Educational Programs

The New England Quilt Museum offers a variety of programs for students from elementary school through college. Museum tours and hands-on activities provide for a more meaningful experience and foster an understanding of the history, mathematics, design and artistry of quilts. Quilts and quiltmaking are readily integrated into all curriculum areas and provide both tactile and visual dimensions to many themes.

Because our exhibitions change, it is important to check the schedule to know which exhibition will be in the gallery at the time of your visit. A selection of antique and contemporary quilts from our permanent collection is always on view.

Grade 1-6: Self-Guided Tour

A teacher can call the museum to book a field trip and plan the visit.

Museum staff welcomes the class and provides a brief orientation about quilting and some of the quilts in the permanent collection. The information and history help children understand and better appreciate the quilts in the exhibit. Students then walk through the gallery with reading and art activities included in the scavenger hunt designed for the current exhibit. Allow 45-60 minutes for the visit. One adult for every 8 students is recommended.

Fee: $4 per student. Teachers and chaperones are admitted free.

Grades 3-8: The Workshop Visit

A teacher can call the museum to book a field trip along with an activity that takes place in the museum’s classroom.

Museum staff welcomes the class and provides a brief orientation about quilting and some of the quilts in the permanent collection. The class is divided into groups. While some students are completing the gallery walk, others are doing a hands-on activity with museum volunteers trained to share their skills with the students. The activity typically relates to patchwork or appliqué and may be completed in the classroom or at home.

Allow 1 ½-2 hours for the visit. One adult for every 8 students is recommended.

Fee: $10.00 per student. Teachers and chaperones are admitted free.

Classroom Quilt Projects

The museum staff has designed Classroom Kits to enable teachers to bring quilts and quiltmaking into their classrooms. Each kit offers non-sewing activities for language and writing projects as well as an introductory sewing project. “Theresa Mello Quilts: Lessons in Patchwork” features the quilts of a former Lowell mill girl along with an assortment of photographs of other antique and contemporary patchwork quilts.

“Peony Quilts: Lessons in Applique” features photographs of traditional album and contemporary pictorial quilts. Each Classroom Kit includes a curriculum guide and is appropriate for elementary ages and may be borrowed for a thirty-day period. Museum staff will meet with the teacher to help plan their activity upon request. Teachers often plan a field trip to the museum during or after their project. Students are encouraged to share their quilting project with museum staff at the time of the visit.

The museum also has an Outreach Program whereby staff and trained volunteers visit local schools and assist in the design of community quilts or class quilting projects. These partnerships are accommodated when grants funding staff time and materials have been approved.

High School and College Students

High School teachers may call the museum to book a tour of the museum as a part of their math, art or history curriculum. Typically, antique quilt exhibits relate well to math and history while the contemporary quilts foster more discussion for the art classes.

Internships can be arranged for high school students for the community service requirements. College students are considered for internships in conjunction with history and museum studies programs.

If you would like to schedule a visit or request additional information about any of the above listed programs, contact Rhonda Galpern at 978-452-4207, ext 17.