A leading motivational speaker and author, I share stories and insights that have enabled me to triumph over cerebral palsy and hearing loss, framing the program around the importance of love, family, and forgiveness in our lives. Though I was in a wheelchair for four years, and can now walk pretty well, the journey has not been easy. Though physically bullied in school and rather than respond in anger, I chose to forgive and help the bullies! A positive attitude can help us celebrate our unique gifts while kindness and respect can help those gifts be revealed. Each program culminates in a powerful documentary video to demonstrate, by example, that we should always focus on our abilities. As a former special needs kid, I describe how optimism and confidence allows us to share an important life philosophy using three simple words: Yes I Can! Which is precisely the title of my published book, helping teen readers and parents overcome self-doubt when faced with tremendous challenges. DETAILS FOR GRADE SCHOOLS: Shorter 35-minute presentation for grades K-2 (focused on disability awareness, character education, kindness and respect, and the qualities of a superhero) followed by a longer 60-minute presentation for grades 3-5 (focused on anti-bullying, leadership, and resilience). Two assemblies maximum per day, preferably before lunch. To help with drive time and share travel expenses from my New Jersey home, I suggest programs at multiple schools on consecutive days. Please email me to establish initial contact, due to my hearing loss, or leave voicemail on my landline. Also open to an introductory Zoom meeting for a "meet-and-greet" and to answer your questions. ONLINE SPEAKER RESUME: www.JustTheWayYouAre.com/resume

Day in Clay is a diverse, multicultural ceramic art program for K–12, including professional development and disabilities. The programs are conducted virtually and in school. Overview Headquartered in Tomkins Cove, NY, Day in Clay was founded by Cliff Mendelson in 1988. Day in Clay provides a multicultural ceramic artist in residence programs for K–12 in over 400 schools and districts. It offers both virtual and on-site assemblies and classroom interactive programs with diverse culturally inspired hands-on/demonstrations in clay. Students get a real taste of the creative process and how design, form, and function relate across disciplines and cultures. Students create and explore African, Asian, Latin/ Native American, and Greek cultures through programs like vessel making, tile making, mask making and multicultural potter's wheel, all custom-tailored for their curriculum. Students work directly with clay, learning advanced techniques and understanding how each culture tells their unique story through 3D art, and discover the relationship between art and society. In the class, students become involved in working with clay while learning advanced techniques and the science behind glazing, painting, and firing. They explore the relationship between art, science, and society. Students also use historical techniques to create, decorate, and design vessels using culturally specific patterns, symbols, and imagery. Day in Clay invites an artist to demonstrate various aspects of different programs, how they connect to the history of ceramics, and show the interrelation of ceramics in cultures worldwide. Staff development provides arts faculty with the techniques, cultural history, and hands-on problem-solving, ready-to-go lesson plans to bring clay into the classroom. Staff learn to use cultural connections as a way to connect students to their own work. The training mirrors Mendelson's college-level teaching, where engagement and sharing expertise are paramount. Lessons are tied into Native American, Asian, African, Latin American, and Greek cultures. Mendelson provides advanced hand-building techniques and the science behind glazing, painting, and firing. Staff development is custom-tailored to meet the needs of a school’s faculty. The best way to problem-solve with students is a hands-on approach and learning the limits of the materials to advance their success. A lively Q&A is always encouraged!

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.

The Wild Center, located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate NY, spans 115 acres and offers visitors a variety of experiences. Named the 2024 #1 science museum in the country by USA Today readers, The Wild Center’s mission is to ignite an enduring passion for nature that inspires action to ensure a thriving natural world. Highlights include a vast trail system, treetop adventures on Wild Walk, Raquette River Roll interactive ball runs, Forest Music, Birdly Virtual Reality, art installations and 54,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space with interactives in Planet Adirondack and Climate Solutions, all year long. The Wild Center offers on-site and virtual field trips for students, camps, scout groups, and youth groups. The Wild Center blends natural history, science, technology, and art into a unique experience that builds upon classroom learning and lifelong memories. Experiences can be a Virtual Field Trip, an onsite Wild Classroom Workshop lead by Wild Center staff, and/or an onsite Self-Guided Experience. The Wild Center’s programs are experiential, student-driven, and designed to support New York State Educational Standards while engaging students in hands-on, interactive learning experiences. Please contact the School Programs Coordinator at schoolprograms@wildcenter.org, call us at (518) 359-7800 x 123, or visit our website at www.wildcenter.org/schoolprograms for more information and/or to schedule a field trip.

We teach and perform a wide range of classical, folk, and Bollywood dance styles at school, at work, at the musem and anywhere! Ajna’s programs celebrate diversity and foster cultural inclusion for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Program Theme Our concert program “Place” explores diverse geographies, languages and musical /cultural traditions from all over the globe, featuring a fusion of original and traditional music from our 6-7 piece ensemble, with a focus on Ghanaian/West African influences. West African dancing is included is showcased in our performance, featuring 1-2 dancers originally from Accra, Ghana. Program Description “Place” takes the original music of Heard and brings the audience somewhere special and distinct in each piece– like the crowded bustle of an Accra open-air market (Market Song), a winding wintry boulevard in Montreal (Cotes des Neiges) or the summer streets of Brazil. (Danca Verao) Through narrative storytelling around our compositional inspirations, we explore cultural, geographical and environmental dimensions of other countries and places. A slideshow featuring maps and photos from our group's recent trip to Ghana provide a beautiful visual backdrop to our performance. Heard musicians include: Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius, keyboards, Laura Andrea Leguía, woodwinds, Bobby Kendall, bass, Brian Melick, percussion, Zorkie Nelson, percussion, Forsino Nelson, dance, Augustina Nelson, dance. All of our members sing! Breakout workshops in West African dance and world percussion can accompany the residency experience. Some of the schools/libraries/museums we’ve performed for include: Troy City School District, Troy, NY--Schools 2, 14, 16, 18 and Carroll Hill Elementary schools Van Rensselaer Elem, Rensselaer, NY Lake George Elementary Lake George, NY Samaritan Children’s Center, Troy, NY Susan Odell Taylor School, Troy, NY Paige Elementary, Schenectady, NY North Colonie Schools, Albany, NY--Boght Hills and Latham Ridge Elementary Schools Saratoga Springs Public Schools- Division St. Elementary Robert C. Parker School, East Greenbush, NY Abram Lansing School, Cohoes, NY Salem State College, Salem, MA ACC, Queensbury, NY HVCC, Troy, NY College of St. Rose, Albany, NY World Awareness Children’s Museum, Glens Falls, NY Guilderland Public Library, Guilderland, NY Albany Public Library–Arbor Hill and Delaware Ave. branches Millbrook, NY Library Silver Bay YMCA Resort Camp Chingachgook YMCA camp

Broadway Utica has a uniquely designed program called UticaWorx. This is an inclusive performing arts program established in 2023, created to welcome participants of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels. Offering everything from summer camps to specialized workshops led by professional actors, choreographers, vocalists, and motivational speakers, the program provides immersive, skill-building experiences that nurture passion and creativity. With a faculty of experienced industry professionals and a rich curriculum, UticaWorx inspires participants to grow, whether they’re pursuing a future in the arts or simply exploring a creative outlet.

Prepare yourself as Planetarium Adventures takes you on a journey that will Inspire, Innovate and bring Discovery to the classroom. Planetarium Adventures is a completely portable planetarium that comes to you! No matter if you represent a school, a library or even a local community organization, Planetarium Adventures will bring the universe to the classroom. Saving you valuable time and money and the hassle of transportation. Planetarium Adventures uses proven tools to open the world of astronomy and the wonderment of our solar system to the young scientists of tomorrow! Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about our curriculum and procedures

Offering interactive performances for PreK-Kindergarten and songwriting workshops grades K-5

*TOP RATED INTERACTIVE CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAM* We are Path To Rhythm, and we provide a highly interactive and professionally directed Group Drumming and Dance Program for your students. We consistently get 100% engagement with all participants throughout the duration of our program. Our unique program, "A Day of Drum & Dance" has become very popular with the schools we have worked with for several years. We take pride in offering "Grade specific assemblies". It is common that if it is our first time working with a school, after our session a teacher will express to us that it is the best assembly that they have ever had at their school. Our program is unique in that we consistently get 100% engagement with each of the grades that we work with. Because we work with only one grade at a time, all students are hands-on active throughout their session with us and participate in both drumming and dancing. My co-facilitator, Yahya Kamate, has an incredible positive and infectious energy that the students love. Not only does he share about the culture that he originates from in West Africa, but the two of us working together is a model for cultural diversity. As the Founder of Path To Rhythm, I bring my many years of teaching and performing experience to help ensure a highly managed and accountable environment that sets a tone of respect, fun and learning during our programs. DAY OF DRUM & DANCE - (Available for single days or multiple days and residency) Path To Rhythm provides educational and interactive group drumming programs for schools. We bring authentic African hand drums called Djembes to your location and lead interactive, 45 -minute sessions of drumming for groups of 25-90 participants. Each session is led by two teaching artist facilitators. Half of the group of students drum while the other half learns a short dance, after the dance is performed the groups switch parts. Each student learns the benefit of drumming and being of service to the dancers. The group works together and has high energy fun in the process! Path To Rhythm is suited for all age groups and grade levels of children and young adults. This program will create a buzz and excitement that will be the talk of the school for days following our visit. Students will be inspired and feel a new sense of community and school spirit, all while learning Cultural Rhythms. We are educators and professional performers, we commit to provide excellent management to ensure that each group reaches its fullest potential. Path To Rhythm will provide full size Djembe (hand) drums for all participants. Each student will have their own drum to play, all of the drums are alike. Benefits: -Aligns with NYS Learning Standards -Exposes children to music making and dance of other cultures -Promotes self regulation -Creates a sense of community & connection. -Honors and celebrates students, teachers and admin. -Encourages creative expression. -Impact! Creates excitement that can be felt throughout the day. -Releases energy. -Interactive hands-on FUN. Requirements: Use of the full gymnasium or large indoor space for the day. Chairs for participants to sit in while they drum. Access to the space to set up at least one hour before start time. PLEASE SEE OUR VIDEO: https://youtu.be/vwTX9wP7Fc Please contact Adam (adam@pathtorhythm.com) with any questions. We look forward to collaborating with you! Recent testimonials: "We feel incredibly fortunate to have Path to Rhythm visit and do a full week residency at Dows Lane School. Their visit was not only a deeply enriching experience, but also a testament to the power of music and movement to bring out the best in every child. From the moment Adam Issadore and Yahya Kamate arrived, they created an atmosphere where every student felt valued, supported, and capable of achieving something remarkable. In a short amount of time, our young learners were able to master rhythms on the djembe; participate in lively, storytelling dance movements; and connect with each other in ways that we never imagined. Even the youngest students in kindergarten were able to grasp complex rhythms and movements, feeling a deep sense of pride in what they had learned. What made this experience even more impactful was how Adam and Yahya adapted their teaching to meet the varied needs and interests of our students. Whether it was a student who needed more time to practice a rhythm or one who was eager to challenge themself further, Adam and Yahya knew just how to offer personalized guidance. It was evident that their instruction went deeper than just teaching—they were truly connecting with the individual needs and learning styles of our students, making every lesson feel accessible, fun and new. We are so grateful to Adam and Yahya for bringing Path to Rhythm to Dows Lane. This experience has made a lasting impact on our students, and we know they will carry the lessons they learned—about rhythm, movement, culture, and most importantly, the joy of learning—into the future. -William Rich, Dows Lane Elementary, Irvington, NY "Path To Rhythm was an incredible experience for every student, teacher, staff member, and administrator. With authentic African hand drums called Djembes in our hands and the power of music in our souls, we engaged in a unique program that reached every child. The students were divided into two groups: one half drummed while the other half learned a short dance. After performing the dance, they switched roles. The energy was buzzing, smiles were endless, and our school community connected in a profound way. As we learned about African culture and experienced the dances of traditional stories, it became clear that this program is a must-have every year!" -Dan Salerno, Asst. Principal, Searingtown Elementary, NY

TEAM Adventure is a team of Central New York professionals from counseling, education, and public service who have joined together to provide high quality adventure programming to people of all ages. We have been providing our services for 19 years. WE OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS: Indoor/Outdoor Low Challenge Course: Join us at the New Adventure Center in Liverpool, NY. The AC is located conveniently on Wetzel Road. We have accommodations for up to 100 participants with a large indoor portable element space and a wooded outdoor low element site with plenty of parking. Team-building Events for Sports teams: Regardless of the sport, TEAM Adventure facilitators are experts at bringing out the best in your athletes. Through experiential learning we take a group of individuals and make them into a functioning, communicating, engaged team. We facilitate the building of relationships, trust and bonding. On site Workshops: TEAM Adventure facilitators will come to your site with our portable games & initiatives. We use Adventure as a tool for learning. We do community building programs, Ubuntu Leadership programs, character building workshops, Emotional Intelligence programs, etc. A customized program will be designed for your group based on the objectives and goals that you want to achieve. Adirondack Adventures: TEAM Adventure will arrange overnight accommodations at an Adirondack Great Camp for your group, including meals and a challenge course experience. We also provide guide service for wilderness camping, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, caving and ADK High Peak hiking. Educator Training: TEAM Adventure has worked with educators from many districts in the Central New York area in the use of Experiential Education & the Adventure Learning Model to help their students succeed both academically and socially. We will come to your building and do single or multiple day trainings, providing your teachers new tools and skills to enhance their curriculum and build community. Our workshops make a great staff development day that is energizing and useful. We can align our programs with the “common core” curriculum. Corporate Training: TEAM Adventure’s experienced trainers use adventure experiences as a tool to create organizational change. We design professional development workshops for small businesses and corporate groups focused on improving team performance, developing creative problem solving and resolving conflicts. Youth Programs: TEAM Adventure works with young people from kindergarten through college. We design programs that include engaging ground-level initiatives and cooperative games as well as low and high challenge course activities. Our experiential problem-solving activities empower students to develop creativity and insight and then apply these skills to real-life situations. Adventure in the Classroom: TEAM Adventure is a leader in bringing adventure to the classroom. We have been running in-service programs for local teachers in the Syracuse area for over 15 years. If you would like to set up a professional development class for your staff call us at (315)415-4323.

Slapstick Science shows are REAL science demonstration-lectures; not random acts of science, but true lessons that cover an entire UNIT from an IPS textbook. All programs were written by and are presented by Ted Lawrence (a.k.a. Dr. Quinton Quark who has been visiting elementary schools since 1992)– they are spectacular and funny shows, but while each lecture is jam-packed with the most memorable science demos, they teach basic principles and concepts intended to make kids realize that science is fun and embrace pursuit of "hard" science. All Slapstick Science shows start with a lesson plan written by a certified high school chemistry, physics, and math teacher (Ted Lawrence) and are presented by a gifted teacher with a knack for thrilling an audience (also, Ted Lawrence). “Much Work with Little Effort” teaches about Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, Friction, and Simple Machines. “The Notion of Motion” teaches Newton’s Laws of Motion – Inertia, Force and Acceleration, Action & Reaction – as well as the use of a hypothesis and units. “Flight” teaches K – 8th graders how an airplane flies and uses the audience to show off genuine Madgeburg spheres, the Bournelli Effect, and the classic “Guinea and Shuttlecock” demonstration that establish the foundation for understanding how air has pressure and is strong enough to lift heavy airplanes. “Kiddie Chem” teaches about solids, liquids, gases, and chemical reactions using exotic chemicals for K -2, and “Combustion” is a spectacular chemistry lecture teaching basic fire safety that EVERYBODY should know before cooking dinner on a stove top or lighting a backyard grill. Circus skills and humor abound, but the lessons-including “Science is FUN”-are what’s important. Guaranteed to excite even the most science-phobic students (and teachers) as evidenced by a 30+ year-long experience hearing "that was the best assembly" frequently after each school visit.