What was the Works Progress Administration (WPA)?

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was like a big helper group that helped people during hard times.

Imagine your family has a lemonade stand, but it’s really cold outside, no one wants lemonade! So you decide to build a warm little booth to keep the lemonade cozy. The WPA was kind of like a bunch of helpers who built lots of warm booths, roads, bridges, and even playgrounds for people across America during the 1930s.

The WPA wasn’t just one person, it was a team of workers. These workers were like your friends who help you build that lemonade booth: some painted walls, others dug holes for the legs of the table, and some even helped write stories about the town.

Everyone got paid to work on these projects, so people had money to buy food and keep their homes warm, just like how you might get a snack or extra coins from your parents after helping them clean up the kitchen.