The Museum of Kurpiowska Culture in Ostrołęka runs an intensive educational activity. There are held lessons and museum-workshops devoted to history, archaeology and ethnography. Each year the meetings are becoming more and more popular - e.g. in 2000 there were realized 389 lessons.

Folk education is one of the most interesting and popular initiative among those who enjoy working with the museum. Since 1994 the Museum of Kurpiowska Culture in Ostrołęka organises ethnographicall lessons concerning annual ceremonies from Kurpiowski White and Green Forest. The lessons are connected with workshops. In 2000 there were 322 lessons from this field.

The lessons are run by the employees of the museum with the assistance of outstanding folk artists from the region e.g. Apolonia Nowak, Czesława Kaczyńska, Halina Pajka, Julianna Puławska, Czesława Marchewka. The artists are willing to participate in the workshops, they appreciate contact with children and teenagers, they say it brings them lots of satisfaction. Although the children do the works according to old, traditional models, however, they are their own and very original ones.

Lessons programme:

• theoretical part
• workshop meetings - a child actively perticipates in the workshops, individually and with the care of a folk artist, wearing a traditional kurpiowski dress - they make Easter eggs, paper cut - outs, "byśki" or palm flowers.

The workshops are often accompanied by music, e.g. the background for the workshops devoted to Christmas rites are some carols by Apolonia Nowak.

Suggested topics:

1. Ethnographical workshops:

• Easter customs and rites on Kurpie
• Christmas on Kurpie
• Kurpiowska paper cut - out
• Ceremonial bread - stuffs
• Bunches of flowers
• Kurpiowski embroidery

2. History lessons:

• Ostrołęka - the history of the city
• Bem - the hero of two nations
• Monastery set as a relic of the baroque art
• The battle of Ostrołęka 1831

3. Archaeology lessons:

• We are getting to know our castle
• The old times of colonization on the area of Kurpiowszczyzna

A huge interest in this topic caused that some of the workshops are held in the educational institutions: in schools and kindergartens. In some of the schools in Ostrołęka there is a so called "Kurpiowski Day" in the calendar of the events. The honorary guest of such a day is always a folk artist, who informs children of a chosen sphere of art, most often from the sphere of fine arts rituals. The museum substantially supervises the activities connected with the regional education e.g. competitions checking the knowledge of the region.

The museum has also at its own disposal board exhibitions, which can be lent.

1. Kurpiowska paper cut - out of White and Green Forest;
2. Folk art of White and Green Forest;
3. Kurpiowska palm - XXX years of the competition in Łyse;
4. Life and output of Oskar Kolberg;
5. Old Polish Easter customs;
6. The battle of Ostrołęka 1831 in iconography;
7. Gentlemen's abodes in the neighbourhoods of Ostrołęka;

We heartily invite to the workshops in the Museum of Kurpiowska Culture.