Education News - Factory Experience Field Trip

We are thrilled to announce our new "Factory Experience" Field Trip, an immersive educational opportunity for local second-grade students. This program follows the Museum Objects visits to Shay Elementary, made possible by a generous grant from Amesbury Education Foundation, Inc.

Students from Shay Elementary will visit the Industrial History Center, where they will step into the day of a typical 19th-century factory worker. The experience is designed to be both educational and eye-opening, providing students with an understanding of the industrial era's challenges and triumphs.

We will bring history to life engagingly and interactively, thanks to the recent acquisition of two bobbin winding tables from the Old Slater Mill Museum. These tables have been retrofitted by our dedicated Board Vice President, Tom Pendergast, allowing students to create and wind their own bobbins, a job once done within these walls.

During the visit, students will fill out time cards, participate in a "physical fitness" test, and complete a "mental agility" test, simulating the rigorous demands placed on factory workers. They will also wear aprons, safety glasses and gloves, learning to operate hand-powered machinery to produce bobbins safely. As part of the program, students will earn "millbucks," a playful yet instructive representation of historical pay practices, including the realities of gender inequality and company scrip, a practice of factories printing their own currency (outlawed in 1928).

In a particularly powerful segment of the trip, students will be encouraged to express their frustrations and unite to sign a petition advocating for fair pay, shorter workdays, and improved working conditions.This activity not only educates them about the struggles of factory workers but also instills a sense of empowerment and the importance of collective action.

Through this immersive experience, students will gain a new appreciation for local labor heroes such as George McNeill, the father of the eight-hour work day, and Jane Storey, the courageous woman who led female workers in the 1852 strike at Salisbury Mfg. Company. These historical figures come to life as students learn about their contributions and the lasting impact of their fight for workers' rights.

We are excited to provide this unique educational opportunity and look forward to welcoming Shay Elementary's second graders to the Industrial History Center. This field trip promises to be a memorable and transformative experience, connecting young minds with their local heritage.

Thank you to the AEFI for making this program possible, and to Tom Pendergast for his invaluable assistance in bringing our vision to life. We can't wait to see our young visitors explore, learn, and be inspired by the rich history within our walls!