School Programs

"The way to be great now, lies thru books and not thru battles"

Programs are offered year-round for students K-12 and can be tailored to meet your specific needs.  Each program offers insight into the world of Stowe and draws on her commitment to social justice to inspire students with the idea that one person can make a difference. All Stowe Center programs tie to Connecticut Curriculum Standards in social studies, language arts or science.

Her Words Changed the World
Harriet Beecher Stowe:  Connecticut native, best-selling author, social reformer, painter, gardener, mother, wife and astute participant and observer of American culture.

Harriet Beecher Stowe published more than thirty books and numerous sketches and articles exploring the themes of family, domestic life, national identity, religion and justice.  Her best known book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, changed the way Americans viewed slavery and galvanized the abolition movement before the Civil War.

Discover Harriet Beecher Stowe’s world in Hartford’s Nook Farm, the 19th century neighborhood of literary and political leaders.  Anticipate an inspiring journey – one where you and your students will learn Stowe’s legacy and impact on American history, literature and culture.

Choose from our selection of interactive programs and walking tours, available for students in grades K-12, to introduce your students to the life and work of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

HARRIET BEECHER STOWE: ACTIVIST, AUTHOR AND MORE (Grades 5-12)
The charming Victorian Gothic Revival home introduces students to Stowe, the most famous American woman of the 19th-century.  Students will learn about Stowe’s life and family, her work and the impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin as well as the roles of women and African Americans in 19th-century society, local history and the Civil War. 

CALLING ON THE STOWES  (Grades K-4)
Students meet the members of Stowe’s household as they choose a piece of clothing (depicting either Harriet, Calvin, their daughters Hatty and Eliza, or Alice, their nurse) for a guided interactive house tour.   Learn the story of the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and what life was like for her and her family during the 1870’s in Hartford’s historic Nook Farm.

IN HARRIET’S GARDEN  (Grades K-4)
Investigate the Stowe Center grounds and Victorian-style gardens,  learning the essential characteristics of gardens, how to classify and catalog different plant types and make your own herbarium pressing.
Available June through August

NOOK FARM WALKING TOUR  (Grades 7-12)
Explore Nook Farm, the 19th century hub of
Hartford’s literary and political worlds with a guided walking tour.  Meet the writers, abolitionists, suffragists and actors who called this part of Hartford home.

STOWE AND TWAIN:  EFFECTING SOCIAL CHANGE (Grades 7-12)
A joint program with The Mark Twain House & Museum. Students tour the homes of both Stowe and Twain, and then gather for a post-tour discussion of the authors and their novels Uncle Tom's Cabin and Huckleberry Finn (This program is 2 hours). Stowe and Twain: Effecting Social Change program fee is $14 per student, $10 per chaperone and no charge for teachers!

PATHS TO CHANGE  (Grades 4-8)
Tour both the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and the Butler-McCook House (just minutes apart in Hartford) to explore the social activism of Stowe (anti-slavery) and Rev. John James McCook (homelessness). With Stowe and McCook illustrating that one person can make a difference, Paths to Change encourages students to take action for positive change.  Scheduling: 860-247-8996 x21 (Connecticut Landmarks) Paths to Change program fee is $4 per student.

Schedule a Library Tour

For more information or to make a reservation:  Call 860.522.9258 x302 or email info@StoweCenter.org

Please have the following information on hand:
      Date you would like to visit (with an alternate date)
      Selected program or tour
      Student and chaperone count
      Grade level and interests of your students
      Time of arrival
      Any special needs
      Any other questions

Programs are $5 per person, unless otherwise noted. 

A combination of any two programs is $7 per person.
Teachers are free.
One adult chaperone is complimentary for every 10 children.  Additional adults pay child rate.

There is a minimum of 10 students for each program and a maximum of 45.  (We will do programs for groups under 10, but they must pay for 10.)
 
A $40 deposit is required to secure your reservation.

Programs at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center are generously supported by:
Lincoln Financial Foundation, New Alliance Foundation and Travelers Connecticut Foundation.