STEM education has never been more important, and Liberty Science Center understands educators' needs to teach science and technology in alignment with the newest national standards. The Science Center is a premier field trip destination and provider of STEM experiences for students, educators, and families. Our STEM education programs can enhance your science instruction with engaging activities online, at LSC, or at your school (within a 60-mile radius). We also offer highly interactive professional development programs for individual educators or groups. Start planning your fun and engaging day of science learning with Liberty Science Center. For more information about our offerings call 201.253.1214 or email mmcdonald@lsc.org.

Sweethearts & Heroes is a social and emotional wellness organization dedicated to building sustainable networks of support, promoting empathy activation, and empowering students to become positive influencers within their communities. Our mission is to nurture Human Skills like empathy and compassion and develop positive leadership in young people. Through structured, spaced-repetition practices designed for age-mixed learning, we leverage the power of H.O.P.E. (Hold On, Possibilities Exist) and inspire students to Jump into Action to help others and establish healthy social norms. By leveraging your school influencers and Champion Teachers, Sweethearts & Heroes provides students with the tools, strategies, and skills to foster resilience and contribute to sustainable, compassionate school cultures. Our partnership approach involves scheduling our team for services based on your school, district, or organization’s desired pace and needs. This can be done with all our services and offers an independent approach to implementing the practices, tools, and messaging we bring to your community. Assemblies Our foundational assemblies introduce the world of Sweethearts & Heroes. In these assemblies, tailored to each grade level band (K-2, 3-5/6, 6/7-12), we’ll discuss the problem in the world today (this epidemic of hopelessness), how these Sweethearts give H.O.P.E. (Hold On, Possibilities Exist), and how Heroes Jump into Action to help others. Student-Teacher Empathy Program (S.T.E.P.) From day one, the Sweethearts & Heroes message has empowered our youth to be the change the world needs. S.T.E.P. is about taking our foundational K-2 and 3-5 grade messages and training high school students to deliver them in a small group classroom format. This propagates the message of Sweethearts & Heroes for your younger students while starting to build relationships across ages, setting up the crux of our youth leadership programs and age-mixed learning. B.R.A.V.E. 6-Week Youth Leadership Program B.R.A.V.E. stands for 16th-Century Bullies ‘R’ Action-Based, Vulnerable, and Empathetic. This is our student leadership system focused on 1) student empowerment, 2) empathy activation, and 3) Human Skills (SEL Core Competencies). It is uniquely designed to take young student leaders who can impact their school and build a culture and community of H.O.P.E. and Action through peer modeling, mentorship, and influence. We’ll introduce a group of up to 20 student leaders to Circle work and Bully Drill fundamentals. These students will implement vital age-mixed play-based learning by traveling to individual elementary classrooms to work with younger students Hero Huddles and Bully Drills. Circle Training | 1-Day, 2-Days Our Circle Training is designed for educators, administrators, students, and school teams. A single Sweethearts & Heroes Circle Trainer can work with up to 20 individuals at once in a training. Circle Training can be a single day, however, it is best completed over 2 days. Weavers of the Future Circle Training | 2-Days The Weavers of the Future Program trains older students to facilitate Circles, fostering healthy social norms and driving lasting, positive change in school culture. These student leaders will lead discussions that cultivate empathy, strengthen essential Human Skills (SEL), encourage perspective-taking, and build supportive peer networks. Master Weaver Circle Training | 3-Days Our train-the-trainer Master Weaver Circle Training is essential to creating a sustainable Circle culture and offering in-house training to future staff and students. This 3-day intensive training is designed to prepare an elite Circle team in your school who will be able to train new Circle facilitators. During this training, we’ll teach you how to tailor and deliver our foundational Circle Training, utilizing your personal stories of Circle and how it has impacted your life. The B.R.A.V.E. System Class Suite B.R.A.V.E. 101 | B.R.A.V.E. 102 | B.R.A.V.E. 103 | B.R.A.V.E. JRs The B.R.A.V.E. System Class Suite includes four classes to create systemic change that reaches all grade levels and implements our Circle work and age-mixed Bully Drill practices throughout your district. These experiential curricula embed our methodologies into your school culture through yearly B.R.A.V.E. lessons on leadership, social-emotional growth, and compassion. Community Ambassador Program Our community ambassador approach involves placing one of our team members in your school to work alongside your team as a long-term partner for school improvement and turning your school into a Circle culture. We provide individualized support weekly or bi- weekly throughout the school year to establish Circle as a consistent practice in your community and implement several of our programs based on your community’s needs.

The Junkman — the original, Grammy-nominated recycled materials percussionist — and his collection of skateboards, road signs, brake drums, and other unusual items will captivate young minds with a STEAM-driven interactive experience that will entertain while teaching about music, science, the environment, inclusiveness, and kindness. From an hour-long interactive eco-concert with a culminating JunkJam wherein kids play along with The Junkman, to a full day of instrument-making or music-making workshops, or a week to two-week long sound sculpture or music-making residency, he’ll work with you every step of the way to develop and craft a program that best suits your students AND your budget. All The Junkman's programs featured his Help Our Planet (HOP) education initiative, which has garnered awards of excellence from the United Nations, the Federation of Mexico, and the State of Vermont.

We offer a variety of programs that blend expressive arts, mindfulness, and social emotional learning. Our goal is to engage youth of all ages in safe, interactive art activities focused on self-expression and empowerment while promoting mental well-being. All programs can be customized to better meet teacher and student needs, as well as curriculum goals. We incorporate a variety of art processes, techniques, and materials in our lessons. Those include drawing, painting, ceramics and pottery, sculpture, collage, printmaking, creative writing and journaling, STEAM projects, and more! Creative Mindfulness (grades K-5): We have developed a unique Creative Mindfulness curriculum for students in grades K-5. These 45-minute lessons can be taught in isolation or organized into a weekly program that is tailored to meet the needs of your students and strengthen your class community. Each hands-on lesson incorporates breathwork, mindfulness strategies, movement, and an expressive art activity. Many lessons also have a literacy component and are paired with high-quality children’s literature. Participation in our Creative Mindfulness program equips students with the tools to help them be more resilient, improve self-regulation and communication skills, build positive self-esteem and self-confidence, and increase overall happiness. Collaborative Art Projects (grades PK-12): Another program we offer is to come in and work on a collaborative project. This can be within a classroom, a grade level, a school, or a whole district. Collaborative projects help to build self-confidence, establish social cohesion, improve communication skills, and strengthen classroom/school communities. This is a great way to add meaningful art to your school hallways and turn plain walls into interesting, colorful, art-filled spaces that students are proud of. Collaborative art can be posted on walls, hung from ceilings, put in display cases, or painted right onto the walls (inside or outside). YES… we do murals, too! Professional Development (all grades): We also offer Professional Development for teachers and staff at all grade levels. Topics include Social Emotional Learning Through Art, Mindful Arts for the Trauma Informed Classroom, Art & Mindfulness for Teacher Self-Care, and Process Art Experiences for Team Building. In our workshops, we share the research that supports what we do and provide easy to implement practices that will enhance your school community, as well as teacher and student well-being. We teach practical ways to use art and mindfulness for coregulation, to increase feelings of safety and connection, reduce stress, and improve focus. All PD workshops can be customized to meet your school’s needs and available time.

Meet Dott! Like the Polkadot! And her talking dog Dusty, like the dust! Their mission is to foster the voice and imagination of the next generation. Dusty & Dott are committed to creating an environment that is welcoming and supportive of all identities. Through storytelling and the magic of puppetry, Dusty & Dott celebrate curiosity and encourage the values of creative play.

NYSATA annually hosts Olympics of the Visual Arts, a creative problem-solving event in which student teams of one or more enter a long-term design solution in one of eight categories and participate in an on-demand design prompt. Teams present a portfolio along with their entry to showcase the research, planning and iterations that led to the final design.

Do you have creative projects you have started and not finished, or have so many creative ideas you don't know where to start? Than this course is for you! Whether your project is a painting series, re-modeling your home, or writing a cookbook, this course is designed to overcome common road blocks to creativity and bring your endeavors to completion. Through six sessions we will review topics, such as setting up your work space, eliminating distractions, discovering your passions, setting up a work schedule when you can realistically work and complete the project. This course is for anyone who has creative or project ideas but struggle with seeing them come to completion. Also, anyone who is seeking support, accountability, systems, and motivation for their creative work.

Portfolio Project Grades: 4 -12 Description: The Portfolio Project is an initiative of NYSATA (New York State Art Teachers Association) that was developed in cooperation with the New York State Education Department. It is an authentic assessment tool that is based on The New York State Learning Standards and provides students with an opportunity to present portfolios of their work at regional adjudication sites. The student portfolios provide evidence of understanding and student learning in the visual arts. Feedback is available for the student, parent, school, and community. The Portfolio Project can provide an authentic source for data on student success in the visual arts. Cost: $15 per student EXAMPLE of an approved BOCES Arts in Ed project: https://sites.google.com/btboces.org/classroom-enrichment-resources/arts-in-education/nysata Student Portfolio requirements vary by grade level: Elementary Level Portfolio (Grades 4-6) · Artist’s Statement · Selection 1 Self-Portrait · Selection 2a Resource-Based Artwork · Selection 2b Resource-Based Artwork · Reflection Written Statement · Selection 3 Student Choice Artwork · Selection 4 Student Choice Artwork · Selection 5 Student Choice Artwork · Component 6 Student Portfolio Presentation Middle Level Portfolio (Grades 7-8) · Artist’s Statement · Selection 1 Self-Portrait · Selection 2a Resource-Based Artwork · Selection 2b Resource-Based Artwork · Reflection Written Statement · Selection 3 Art from Observation · Selection 4 Student Choice Artwork · Selection 5 Student Choice Artwork · Component 6 Student Portfolio Presentation Commencement Level Portfolio (Grade 9 or intro level students) · Artist’s Statement · Selection 1 Self-Portrait · Selection 2a Resource-Based Artwork · Selection 2b Resource-Based Artwork · Reflection Written Statement · Selection 3 Art from Observation · Selection 4 Process Piece · Selection 5 Student Choice Artwork · Selection 6 Student Choice Artwork · Component 7 Student Portfolio Presentation Elective Level Portfolio (Grades 10-12) · Artist’s Statement · Selection 1 Self-Portrait · Selection 2a Resource-Based Artwork · Selection 2b Resource-Based Artwork · Reflection Written Statement · Selection 3 Art from Observation · Selection 4 Process Piece · Selection 5 Exploratory Artwork · Selection 6 Exploratory Artwork · Selection 7 Exploratory Artwork · Component 8 Student Portfolio Presentation Major Sequence Level (Grades 11-12) · Artist’s Statement · Selection 1 Self-Portrait · Selection 2a Resource-Based Artwork · Selection 2b Resource-Based Artwork · Reflection Written Statement · Selection 3 Art from Observation · Selection 4 Process Piece · Selection 5 Focused Artwork · Selection 6 Focused Artwork · Selection 7 Focused Artwork · Selection 8 Focused Artwork · Component 9 Student Portfolio Presentation This program supports the following NYS Learning Standards: Visual Arts — Creating: · Investigate, Plan, Make (generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work) · Investigate, Consider, Respect, Make (organize and develop artistic ideas and work) · Reflect, Refine, Continue (refine and complete artistic ideas and work) Visual Arts — Presenting · Select, Preserve ( analyze, interpret and select artistic work for presentation) · Curate (develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation) · Share, Relate (convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work) Visual Arts — Responding · Perceive, Analyze (perceive and analyze artistic work) · Interpret (interpret intent and meaning in artistic work) · Evaluate (apply criteria to evaluate artistic work) Visual Arts — Connecting · Synthesize (synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art) · Interrelate, Extend (relate artistic ideas &works w/ societal, cultural, & historical context) Categories: Art

The Animal Menagerie, written by Francine Dingeman and illustrated by Marta Maszkiewicz, is an enchanting A to Z picture book filled with captivating characters from the animal kingdom for children ages 4-8. This book is written to entertain and educate by introducing dozens of creative new words into a child's vocabulary. Children are invited to embark on a wild and whimsical journey through The Animal Menagerie! Each letter of the alphabet comes to life with vibrant illustrations and story vignettes, making early literacy development a delightful adventure. The visual imagery, engaging rhymes, and clever context comprehension of The Animal Menagerie will spark a child's curiosity and imagination as they learn new vocabulary words and animal names in a fun and unforgettable way. Twenty to thirty minute visits to grades pre-k and k include readings from select pages of the A to Z picture book and a short discussion surrounding each animal character. First to third grade presentations include a full reading of the book followed by a personal account of the writing/publishing journey with a focus on inspiring young writers and encouraging them along their individual writing paths. The opportunity to project the pages of the book as it is read, so children can view the illustrations along with the reading, allows for an optimally engaging presentation, sparking a child's interest and curiosity as each new animal character story is shared.

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.

I am a multi-brass-woodwind-instrumentalist, with a lifetime of road experience traveling the world teaching/playing. I love to share any and all of my knowledge with any one who wants to learn and have fun.

Cartooning, character design, storytelling for comic books, comic strips and graphic design. Interactive group projects and an overall positive environment for children to be creative with no judgement.