Your Virtual Senior Center
Virtual programs are offered through the Senior Learning Network and other partners.
SLN Virtual Programs can be viewed at home or in The Thompson’s new Media Room.
Please register in advance to receive your Zoom link by calling 802-457-3277 ext 2
FDR and Social Security – FDR Presidential Library and Museum
August 26th, 2:00 pm
FDR considered the creation of Social Security to be his greatest domestic achievement. This session traces the creation and passage of the Social Security Insurance Act, one of the most important pieces of social legislation in American history. Join us as we hear from Jeff once again about this very relevant topic to senior adults today, and what Social Security may look like in the future.
Hokusai & the Art of Japan- National Museum of Asian Art
Tuesday, September 9, 2:00 pm
The Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is widely recognized for a single image—Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa, an icon of global art—yet he produced thousands of works throughout his long life. Tour the former exhibition Hokusai: Mad About Painting, which featured works from the world’s largest collection of paintings, sketches, and drawings by Hokusai. The exhibition includes works large and small, from six-panel folding screens and hanging scrolls to paintings and drawings. Together, these works reveal an artistic genius who thought he might finally achieve true mastery in painting— if he lived to the age of 110.
Belmont-Paul National Monument
Tuesday, September 16, 2:00 pm
Home to the National Woman’s Party for more than 90 years, this was the epicenter of the struggle for women’s rights. From this house in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court, Alice Paul and the NWP developed innovative strategies and tactics to advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment and equality for women. Built on Capitol Hill in 1800, the brick federal-period house that today is Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is among the oldest residential properties in Washington, D.C. The house is located on land used by the Nacotchtank, or Anacostans, for hunting and trading. The tract was included in a land grant to Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, in 1632 by King Charles I of England as part of the colony of Maryland.
“No Mail, Low Morale”: The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – US Army Museum
Tuesday, September 23, 2:00 pm
Since the Revolutionary War generations of African Americans have served the armed forces, but it was not until World War II that Black women joined the Army as part of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC).
In February 1945 members of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion arrived in Birmingham, England. Nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” they were the first and only all-Black WAC unit sent overseas during World War II. They faced the daunting task of sorting and delivering mail to the roughly 7 million service members stationed in the European Theater. Their mission boosted morale across the entirety of deployed forces. They completed their mission in three months’ time before deploying to France to undertake the same work. The battalion was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of their dedication and service to mission in 2022.
Seaport Village Virtual Walkabout: Mystic Seaport Museum
Tuesday, September 30, 2:00 pm
Join us in our favorite seaport town- Mystic! Learn about maritime trades that supported life at sea and on land in the 19th century. Museum interpreters demonstrate skills in the cooperage, shipmith, print shop, shipcarver shop, and more in the re-created seaport village. Stroll through the re-created seaport village to immerse yourself in the life of a 19th-century coastal New Englander. Interpreters bring to life the bustling maritime trades, including shipsmiths, coopers, printers, and shipcarvers, that supported life at sea and on shore at that time. Also, get a glimpse into domestic life with gardening techniques and cooking demonstrations in the Buckingham-Hall house. Trade shops, businesses, and houses from the 1800s were transported to Mystic Seaport Museum from locations around New England to re-create this historic village.