"I have been able to make strong connections between Lowell National Historical Park and my French courses. For one of my advanced courses, "Francophone Communities in North America," I typically work with the park to arrange a walking tour of what is left of Little Canada, which used to be the French-Canadian section of town until it was partially destroyed in the 1960s. This field visit allows my students to imagine what life might have been like for French-speaking mill workers. I am also closely working with the Tsongas Industrial History Center and its director, Sheila Kirschbaum. For another course, I bring students to the TIHC for hands-on work with artifacts and oral histories in the Center’s immigration studio. This activity served as an introduction to a walking tour of Little Canada led by TIHC/LNHP ranger William Morton. For directed studies in advanced French (400 level), one of my students did a semester-long internship at the LNHP, translating brochures on Jack Kerouac’s Lowell and general Lowell history. Another student led French-language walking tours for Park visitors. My collaborations with the Park have truly enriched my teaching and my students’ learning."
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