Local 4 Life

05/31/2026

The Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library is always “buzzing” with learning and fun activities! We are extremely excited for the opportunity to develop an outdoor learning space there in the form of a pollinator garden. Stay tuned for more info about this project!
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Janet Malser grants fund children’s curiosity center and pollinator garden at the Pearle

DUDLEY — The Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library in Dudley was recently awarded an $8,155 Janet Malser Grant to upgrade the Children’s Room with a new space named the “Crawford Curiosity Center.”
An underutilized cubby will be removed and replaced with a STEM-based busy wall designed for children ages one to six. The transformation will enhance the functionality, educational value and visual appeal of space, while directly supporting early childhood learning and development.
“STEM learning in early childhood is critical as it lays the foundation for later success in critical
thinking, spatial reasoning and logical problem solving,” Library Director Nicole Messier said.
Work is set to commence late fall.
Additionally, local nonprofit Local 4 Life was awarded a $2,600 Janet Malser Grant to install a pollinator garden on the front lawn of the Pearle.
Local 4 Life has partnered with the Pearle over the past two years to provide six educational programs for children and families in the Fels Community Room. These programs have featured hands-on learning experiences focused on topics such as soil health, composting, pollinators, plant life cycles, and agricultural crops.
The grant funding will enable these lessons to be expanded into an outdoor setting, creating opportunities for more structured and immersive programming. Examples of educational activities in this garden include nature-based literacy activities, age-appropriate science lessons, and environmental stewardship workshops.
It will also be used to support the library’s 2026 Summer Reading Program theme, “Plant a Seed. Read.”
This reading program idea is rooted in the concept of farm-to-table.
The garden space will also be open to informal use by library patrons, small groups, and families seeking a peaceful and educational outdoor environment.

04/29/2026

We are loving our new Junior Meteorologist Series workshops held at the Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library and sponsored by Dudley Cultural Council and Mass Cultural Council. Sign up now for this Saturday’s session! Details are in our Events!

03/31/2026

We are excited for our first Junior Meteorologist Workshop Series! Sponsored by Mass Cultural Council and Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library, this is a 3 part series for any child ages 5-12 that is interested in learning more about weather topics. Parts 1 & 2 of this series takes part at the library, Part 3 takes place on Walnut Lane Farm. All sessions are free! Registration links can be found in our event pages or on the library event calendar!

01/27/2026

Thank you to Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library for supporting our “Beneficial Bugs” children’s workshop last Saturday! Families learned about critters that help our gardens, farms and the environment by making bee hotels, earthworm observatories, spider webs and ladybug crafts. Stay tuned for more library workshops in the spring! ❤️

01/21/2026

Thank you to the Dudley Cultural Council for your ongoing support and for the latest grant that will support a new children’s educational series at the Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library and at Walnut Lane Farm this spring!

***Dudley Cultural Council awards $11,400 to 20 grant recipients***

The Dudley Cultural Council (DCC) is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the nation’s largest grassroots cultural funding network, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to Mass Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.

Statewide, more than $5 million will be distributed by LCCs in 2026. Grants support many grassroots activities: concerts, exhibitions, radio and video productions, field trips for schoolchildren, after school youth programs, writing workshops, historical preservation efforts, lectures, nature and science education programs for families, and town festivals. Nearly half of LCC funds support educational activities for young people.

A board of municipally appointed volunteers makes decisions about which activities to support at the community level. This year, the DCC awarded $11,400 to the following 20 grant recipients:

*Holiday Spectacular at Shepherd Regional High School
*Traveling Makerspace: Chain Reactions at Pearle L. Crawford Library, Jay Mankita
*Live Music Making History Live –“Popular Music & Veterans” at Pearle L. Crawford Library, Jon Waterman
*Community Concert at Nichols College featuring the Wind Ensemble of Worcester Youth Orchestras
*The Science of Sound at Mason Road School
*From Ireland to America at the Dudley Senior Center, Roger Tincknell
*The Music of McCartney at Pearle L. Crawford Library, Daniel Kirouac
*Local Weather Workshop Series for Kids: Be a Junior Meteorologist at Pearle L. Crawford Library, Local 4 Life
*Our Bright Future’s STEAM Programs at Boys & Girls Club of Webster - Dudley
*Learning About Animals from A-Z at the Dudley Grange #163, Dudley Conservation Land Trust
*Floral Arrangement at the Dudley Senior Center
*Samuel Slater Experience, Dudley Middle School
*Treasure Journal Workshop Series at Pearle L. Crawford Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library, Happy Arts Events
*Strawberry Festival, Dudley Grange #163
*The Connie Francis Story at the Dudley Senior Center, Donna Lee Honeywell
*Premier Swing Band at the Black Tavern Historical Society
*Apple Festival, Dudley Grange #163
*Jumpin’ Juba at the Dudley Senior Center, Steven Hurlbut
*A Christmas Carol – Hanover Theatre Production, Dudley Middle School

The DCC will seek applications again in the fall. Additional information about DCC, the LCC Program, grant application process, and guidelines may be found at https://massculturalcouncil.org/communities/local-cultural-council-program/application-process/

The DCC members pictured are from left to right:
Front row: Annette Gion, Louise Williams
Second row: Ginni DiDonato, Jo Ann Brinker, Peggy Macuga, Bernice Albetski, Ron Stachelek

01/18/2026

Are you looking for something free and fun to do with your kids? Next Saturday we will be at the with facts about all kinds of interesting critters! Sign up link is in bio or go to the library calendar to sign up.

01/09/2026

We are hosting another great children’s program at the Dudley library! Sign up using the link below!

Not all bugs belong in the “ew” category!
Join us at the library to meet the good guys of the garden in our Beneficial Bugs Workshop.
Learn who helps your plants, who eats the pests, and why nature’s tiniest heroes deserve some love.
Register here:https://crawfordlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/local-4-life-7/

11/22/2025