Hi, I just wrote my first children's book about adventures that my twins with Down syndrome will take you on. This particular story is fiction. The Adventures of Danika and Dalilah: To the Moon with Casey June. Casey is my oldest daughter who prepares her sisters for a trip. I read this to a group of students where I teach, they loved it! In the story I touch upon my girls have Down syndrome, and hearing loss. They also use ASL as a way to communicate. I will read the story and present my power point. Thank you, Dionne Carpenter

The Kalish/Walker Duo offers interactive educational violin/piano performances for kids from pre-K through high school. We currently have the following shows ready to go; these can be adapted to different formats or audiences, depending on your needs. We’re also excited to write new shows to connect music with any other curriculum or theme you want us to cover. Available for masterclasses, chamber music coaching, and sectionals as well. A Whole Wide World of Musical Moods In this interactive performance, children will respond to classical music through movement, coming up with stories or scenes that match the musical ambience, and making art in response to the music. Featuring music by important female composers and black composers, students are encouraged to believe that they too could become composers one day. Grade levels: K-2, Categories: Music, Music-Classical, Social-Emotional Learning, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Musical Adventures in American History: Thomas Jefferson, Violinist in Chief Thomas Jefferson was not only the author of the Declaration of Independence and America’s 3rd president, he was also an accomplished violinist. Students will sing, dance and clap to the music that Jefferson himself knew and played. We’ll explore the musical form of “theme and variations,” with students identifying mood and emotion in music, and explore the American Revolutionaries’ fight for independence. Grade levels: K-2, Categories: Music, Music-Classical, Social-Emotional Learning, History Musical Adventures in American History: Thomas Jefferson, Revolutionary and Violinist Students will explore music from the time of the Revolutionary War (from fiddle tunes that Thomas Jefferson actually played in the White House to beautiful ballads like Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier), as well as later musical selections that illuminate American history and the ideals of the Revolution. Students will identify changes of mood and emotion in a theme and variations and learn to create and listen for hemiola (changing between 6 8th notes being divided into 2 groups of 3 and 3 groups of 2.) Grade levels: 3-5. 6-8 Categories: Music, Music-Classical, Social-Emotional Learning, History

The Parmesan Pig Book Series is a dynamic and engaging children's picture book series designed to inspire imagination, creativity, and a love for reading in young learners. Each book in the series features Parmesan Pig alongside her charmingly named food-animal friends, whose playful and inventive names add an extra layer of fun to their adventures. These stories not only entertain but also introduce important life lessons, such as friendship, problem-solving, and the value of perseverance. The author visits goes beyond storytelling by offering interactive and follow-up activities. Children/Students engage in character exploration activities, where they experience the creative journey of developing character illustrations—from initial sketches to the final artwork. Each session concludes with the exciting task of inventing new character names that could seamlessly join the series. These activities are designed to enhance literacy, boost creative expression, and build confidence in young readers. The Parmesan Pig Book Series is ideal for elementary school students and can be tailored to fit various educational settings, including classrooms, libraries, and after-school programs. By bringing these stories to life through interactive sessions, I aim to foster a deeper connection with reading and learning, making the educational experience both enjoyable and impactful. Key Features: 1) Interactive Storytelling: Bringing the adventures of Parmesan Pig and friends to life through engaging readings and discussions. 2) Creative Interaction: Activities that encourage children to explore their creativity and express themselves. 2) Educational Enrichment: Each session is designed to align with educational standards, promoting literacy, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning. 4) Flexible Format: The program can be adapted to fit the needs of different age groups and educational settings, ensuring a customized experience for each school. Join Parmesan Pig and her friends on a journey of creativity and learning that will leave a lasting impact on young minds!

I'm an author/illustrator who presents to elementary school students about writing and illustrating humorous picture books, graphic novels, and chapter books. Each of my programs features multimedia presentations about how I make both fiction and non-fiction books. I include a mix of info about my writing and illustrating processes as well as exciting, interactive drawing demonstrations for all ages.

An 8-week, high-engagement enrichment intensive that empowers students to find their voice through the art of filmmaking. Social-Emotional Growth: The cooperation nature of the process requires students to practice empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution during the high-stakes production phase. Confidence Through Creation: By moving a project from a blank page to a public screening, students develop the belief that they can tackle complex, long-term goals. Career & Technical Foundations: Students gain early exposure to digital media careers, developing a portfolio-ready short film and a foundational understanding of the digital arts.

John McPherson is the creator of the very popular cartoon panel Close To Home, which appears in over 700 newspapers worldwide, among them the Washington Post, The Miami Herald and the Houston Chronicle. He has published 27 book collections of his work, a line of greeting cards with Recycled Greetings, and is also a nationally known speaker on humor, stress and creativity as well as life as a syndicated cartoonist. His presentations are very funny, engaging, and informative. When speaking to school children his presentations can range from showing kids how to draw cartoons (focusing on the emotions of the characters, perspective, shading, etc) to telling his story of how he became a cartoonist, what life as a cartoonist is like, how books become published, what makes a cartoon funny, how cartoons are animated and turned into TV shows and many other aspects of cartooning. He is comfortable working with children of all ages and is sure to get them laughing and creating their own cartoons.

Explore Books on a Reading Safari. Finally – an elementary reading school assembly show that’s really about reading and language arts – and a lot of fun, too! Adventures in Reading is not another thinly disguised magic or puppet show that briefly mentions books. Instead, it’s a highly energetic, motivational program that’s received rave reviews from countless teachers and librarians. During the zany 40-minute reading safari, our hero, Ed Venture, helps students discover that reading leads to many rewards. The Adventure Includes: Sentence Structure | Punctuation | Story Parts | Spelling | The Alphabet | Word Games | Book Genres | Benefits of Reading.

In-School Residencies with Peter, Paul and George: Our dance workshops are well-suited addendums for elementary school students and high-school language students interested in learning more about their chosen culture. Homespun Occasions’ workshops encompass dances from more than 60 countries and regions around the world including the US, Latin America, Africa, Quebec, Scandinavia, Ireland, France, Turkey, China, Polynesia and Russia. These dance and music workshops can also be integrated with history and geography units. Peter Davis, Paul Rosenberg and George Wilson have been leading elementary and high school daytime workshops and residencies in traditional community dance and music, and playing for family and community dance evenings since 1994. Their repertoire consists primarily of contra, square and international folk dances accompanied by lively reels, jigs, polkas and waltzes. Their music and dances transform even the most adamant, grimacing youngsters declaring “I will never dance” into smiling dance-lovers asking, “When is the next dance?” Although they have worked as a trio since 1994, Peter and George have each been arts educators since the mid-1970s. All three are multi-instrumentalists. Instrumentation includes fiddle, banjo, clarinet, pennywhistle, recorder, piano, guitar and mandolin. Together they have performed and taught in over 700 schools around the Northeastern United States Family Dance Evening: One of our most popular offerings, the Family Dance, is a school-wide community celebration that involves everyone. Students, parents, siblings, teachers and administrators spend an evening dancing in time-honored traditions from around the world. If the evening is presented as the culminating activity after a school residency, students will be able to help teach their parents the dances they learned during the day. Parents are encouraged to get up and participate, and the high-spirited, toe-tapping music by Peter Davis and George Wilson make it impossible to sit on the sidelines! All dances are taught by “dancing master” Paul Rosenberg. Middle & High School Programs: TRADITIONAL DANCE AND MUSIC OF QUEBEC AND FRANCE FOR FRENCH LANGUAGE STUDENTS TRADITIONAL DANCE OF LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE STUDENTS TRADITIONAL DANCE OF GERMANY, ITALY, RUSSIA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD FOR OTHER LANGUAGE STUDENTS Square dancing originated in France! When settlers from France and western Europe came to the new world, they brought their quadrilles (square dance formation), their fiddles and their dances. The cultural heritage of Francophone America is brought to life in this dynamic participatory workshop. Accompanied by the energetic Quebecois fiddling of George Wilson and the pulsating rhythmic piano and guitar of Peter Davis, Paul Rosenberg leads high school French students through a series of lively dances as he points out the origin of such phrases as “do-si-do” (which was originally “dos à dos” – back-to-back). Dances are in square, circle, and contra formations. This multidisciplinary workshop encompasses language, history, geography, physical education and, of course, music! In Latin America, some dances were brought over by Spanish colonists, and others are ancient dances of native peoples who were influenced by Spanish culture. Many of these dances tend to be very energetic and lots of fun! Fiddle for Orchestra: Students Master fiddler George Wilson has developed a program for working with musicians in school orchestra programs. Students will be introduced to and instructed in the nuances of traditional fiddle styles. George has an extensive background playing tunes from Quebec (as well as Ireland, Scotland, Cape Breton/Nova Scotia, Appalachia, Scandinavia and the Shetland Islands). These traditional tunes include reels, jigs, hornpipes, schottisches, marches, polkas and waltzes. During instruction, George will focus on the rhythms and accents that give this traditional music its distinct feel. Sheet music for melody and harmony/accompaniment will be provided; George will also employ the more traditional method of teaching tunes by ear. Students will learn melody, harmony and accompaniment for each tune. The details of bowing, ornamentation, rhythm, and accents idiomatic to a style or tune will then be added. These workshops, rehearsals and sessions can be integrated with history and geography units as well as being aligned with the New York State Learning Standards in the areas of multicultural and traditional music, improvisation and playing solo or in an ensemble.

Built on the historic footprint of the terminus of the Erie Canal, Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum sits at the crossroads between canals and bridges that have become year-round community destinations on the city’s waterfront at Canalside. This totally unique location makes it the perfect place to learn about the region’s roots as an innovative port at the turn of the century, while using hands-on play to spark the imagination of the next generation of great minds. Now serving children birth-12 years of age, we have expanded our footprint as we also expand our reach. Our seven educational play zones offer hands-on exhibits that tell the unique story of Buffalo and what makes us proud to be from Western New York. The zones reveal stories of our region’s history, geography, culture, agriculture, architecture, athletics, commerce and innovation through exhibits that celebrate the power and benefits of play. Explore & More is the perfect place to learn about the region’s past roots with child-led and family friendly play that helps develop the whole child. These exhibits are located on the second, third and fourth floors. Explore & More Children’s Museum is very excited to welcome everyone to our new home at Canalside. To help make your visit as enjoyable and engaging as possible, we have developed customized visual, social, communicative, sensory, and behavioral supports. You will find these supports throughout the museum – from our sensory backpacks and call-ahead accommodations, to our sensory-friendly rooms. We would love to have you visit!

The Compassionate Leaders Circle (CLC) proudly offers Student Leadership Labs for K-12 students, fostering creativity, self-discovery, and meaningful connections at every stage of their educational journey. Book Lab for Elementary Schools empowers young learners to write and illustrate their own stories, which are professionally published on Amazon. This exciting experience allows students to showcase their work to friends, family, and local libraries, building confidence and pride in their achievements. Dream Lab for Middle Schools guides students to uncover their core values and collaborate in learning pods. These sessions strengthen their connection with themselves and their peers while setting actionable goals for a purposeful and rewarding transition into high school. Purpose Lab for High School and University students helps participants realign with their personal values and aspirations. Using proven methodologies, this program equips students with actionable steps to pursue a fulfilling life and realize their full potential. CLC has aligned its programs with NYSED’s initiatives, including the “Portrait of a Graduate,” to support students in achieving a successful path to graduation. Each lab is thoughtfully designed to inspire and empower students, creating lasting impacts both within and beyond the classroom.

Tango Fusion Dance Company provides ballroom/Latin/swing dance to all age groups. We have done school dance residencies for all grades including dance workshops for the students, performances including the students for an assembly, dance instruction based on language (i.e. Spanish dances for language classes), based on social studies (regions) and "dance is math" for the younger grades. We also have a theater program titled Triple Threat where we teach the students excerpts of scenes from Broadway shows (usually Disney) including acting, singing and dancing. We have done these program as in school, before school and after school residencies. They can range from one day to multiple days. References provided upon request.

A comprehensive year-long classroom program designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to learn music composition, create original compositions, form music groups, bands, or ensembles, and to promote their work on local and national stage. Through a combination of instrumental training, music theory, composition techniques, and industry tools, students will embark on a journey from individual musicians to collaborative creators, culminating in the production of their original work and how to bring their efforts to market.