History

Celebrate National Letter Writing Week by hand-crafting your own letters from the ground up. Learn how to make your own paper, quill, ink, calligraphy, and stamps in these three workshops. Sign up for section -01 to enroll in all three workshops and receive a discount. Register by Jan. 6.

Experience our Cold War & Civil Rights walking tour virtually. Learn about Devonshire Park's past as a Cold War military base and discover Skokie's Cold War-era history throughout the Devonshire Manor neighborhood. The tour will cover the development of Skokie's Jewish community, mid-century modern design, the evolution of the nuclear family and second-wave feminism, and the 1960s civil rights and fair housing movements in Skokie.

Experience our Rise of the Bungalows walking tour virtually. Learn about bungalow architecture and how the design reflects shifting societal values in the early 1900s, inspired in part by Jane Addams' Hull-House reformers and Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School, in this tour of bungalows around the Lorel Park area.

Students will explore writings by Martin Luther King, Jr. and his peers to study lessons learned from the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and then investigate ways to engage in the civic process, advocate for change, and improve their communities today.

Investigate primary sources and discuss the ownership of history narratives and public memory as we try to answer the question "Who do we remember and why?". In January, learn about the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Chicago Freedom Movement and its ties to Skokie history, and important moments in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. In February, take a deep dive into revolutionary America and explore fundamental contradictions between the Founding Fathers' lives and stated ideals.

Discover U.S. history through our curated selection of texts and discuss how the past, and our perceptions of it, inform the present. The first half-hour is optional to attend and will summarize and contextualize the selected text (ideal for participants who didn't read the book or who want a refresher). We will discuss the selected text from 6-7 p.m. and end with an optional half-hour social time. Light refreshments provided.

Capture your favorite flowers on canvas with a needle and thread as you create a small floral ornament and master specific embroidery stitches in these introductory workshops.

This Groundhog Day we will again ask the question: will that most famous of groundhogs, Punxsutawney Phil, see his shadow and doom us to six more weeks of winter, or is an early spring just around the corner? With thousands of LEGO® pieces and the guidance of an experienced Play-Well instructor, you'll be able to build your own groundhog and find out for yourself!

Join Illinois Roads Scholar Karen Anderson as she tells of the women of color in 1760 French America who legally freed themselves from slavery only to be bound by government laws, but who refused to see themselves through the lens of social limitation. Hear how women like Sarah Breedlove and Ann Malone changed the way women of African descent saw themselves and redefined beauty. Reflect on recent developments in societal beauty standards and decide for yourself what beauty really is. Sponsored by Illinois Humanities.

Learn the full process behind making a scarf by homespinning your own fiber, customizing your yarn using natural dyes, and then knitting or crocheting your own scarf. Each workshop will cover the basics of drop spindle spinning, using natural dyes to customize yarn or fabric colors, and then learning to knit or crochet to craft your own custom scarf. Materials included. Sign up for workshops individually or sign up for section -01 to register for all three and receive a discount. Must register before Jan. 17.

Explore the history of Valentine's Day and make a variety of vintage valentines and themed crafts. Try your hand at crochet or lucet knitting, embroidery, paper quilling, silhouette making, and more! Families welcome.

Learn about fudge's surprising past as a symbol of feminist independence for early college-attending women while enjoying some samples and an instructive cooking demonstration for a no-fail chocolate fudge recipe.

Learn the basics of hand sewing with artistic visible mending techniques for repairing your clothes. This workshop will cover different stitches for repairing clothes with decorative stitches, practical stitches for broken seams, identifying woven fabrics, and the best tools and materials for repairing woven garments. Each student will create a mending sampler to practice the repair techniques. This is an introductory class for all skill levels. Instructor: Nandi Duszynski of Bliss Joy Bull.

Join us for a drink, snacks, and a series of crowd-sourced lightning talks about local landmarks. Explore place-making and the sometimes surprising history of your local landscape. Vote for your favorite place and presenter; winners will receive a prize. Please sign up as a presenter if you'd like to share something about your favorite local place - otherwise, please register as general audience.