Bi-Okoto creates performances and educational experiences to help audiences of all ages and backgrounds engage and bridge cultural gaps. We use authentic African culture-based theatre, music, drums, dances, cooking, languages, and clothing to accomplish that. Our B-FIT classes are classes offered at our center on a weekly basis. They include West African languages (Yoruba, Kiswahili, etc.); Drumming (for kids, and mixed-levels); Dance (for kids, and adult mixed-levels); Drumming (for kids, and adult mixed levels); AfroPop Dance (ages 13 to adults); Cooking (ages 13 to adults) Images of Africa Summer Camp keep kid 6-12 engaged in activities from our B-FIT classes in. Kids participate in cultural and character-building activities at the center, and they have weekly field trips to various community-based arts activities. In Tolongo Afterschool program we offer similar contents as in our summer camp programming above, but only available when CPS schools are in session. E Sin Mi d’Africa (Come with Me to Africa), Residencies is our cornerstone program. This is a cultural and educational arts residency using multi-sensory, multi-disciplinary learning experiences integrated into student's daily academic curriculum that addresses student needs over the course of a nine-month. This is integrated into the schools’ arts curriculum, working with school. Wa-Zo-Bia Movement & Music Workshop helps students understand math skills, purpose & meaning of the drum and heartbeat, and the communicative language of the drum that mimics different cultural tribes. The workshop compares & illustrates to students the similarities & differences of popular movements & music and how it relates to what is done every day in common situations such as walking. Ekaabo School Assembly program (West African – with emphasis on Nigeria) We take students on an interactive journey from USA to a handful of West African countries. The richness of African culture is revealed through a broad range of dance and languages. Akwaaba and Tooli, are similar program with emphasis on Ghana and Guinea, respectively. “Agidigbo” is a monthly gathering that seeks to foster interactions, drumming, dancing, play reading amongst young adults ages 20-40. “Agidigbo” aims at creating a space with a supportive and welcoming environment to YPs, for discussion, learning, socializing, engaging, and networking opportunities; To further attract and retain/hire Young Professional to the community. HeartBeat Drum Circle- this event is a quarterly event that seeks to foster connection and positive interactions amongst our patrons/community for healing, fun or for music enthusiasts with percussive instruments who come to share and learn. Three Annual stage productions (selections from Igbeyawo, Yemoja, Irin Ajo, etc…) Each production is written to expose the “western” culture to traditional, contemporary, or comedic African theatre which includes a narrating character, live music, songs, dance and students from the adult & children’s classes. Okoto-Kekere (2nd Company) - is designed and tailored to nurture young and budding creatives who are seeking to pursue a career in Afrocentric theater Arts. We pair the youths up with our professional TPAs to provide them with firsthand training and experimental learning opportunities in a holistic way – learning it all, from scripting, backstage management, acting, tech booth management, lighting etc. All our programs are carefully engineered to be in alignment with our mission.

Music enrichment geared to your curriculum. This can include a songwriting component and a wide variety of topics.

"Visual Thinker" Roxie Munro is the Author/Illustrator of more than 55 award-winning nonfiction, STEM/STEAM, and concept books for children, many using "gamification" to encourage reading, learning, and engagement. Recent books include Maze Play; A Day in the Life of the Desert; Lizards at Large; ABCity; Anteaters, Bats & Boas (2 starred reviews); Dive In; Rodent Rascals (3 starred reviews); Masterpiece Mix; Market Maze; Slithery Snakes; Busy Builders; EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures (starred reviews; Smithsonian's Best Science Book for Children); Hatch! and many others. Awards include The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated; Outstanding Science Trade Book, NSTA & CBC; Society of International Librarians Honor Award; Bank St College Best Books List w/Outstanding Merit; the Bank St Cook Prize Honor for STEM, others. Fourteen of her paintings have been published as covers of The New Yorker magazine. Programs are lively multimedia presentations with beautiful highly illustrated visuals, short videos with sounds, and great fun facts and information. The most popular program for PreK-2nd grade is "Nature," in which lots of the world's most interesting animals are discussed. For 3rd grade and up, the most requested is "Creating a Nonfiction Picture Book" - learning how to research, use sources, and develop critical thinking. Making the book: Storyboard, thumbnails, roughs, finished art and text. Editor's involvement. Designing a cover. For a complete menu of all of Roxie's programs, with grade levels, visit https://www.roxiemunro.com/school-visits.html Roxie's art is exhibited widely in the US in galleries, museums and is in numerous private, public, and corporate collections. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, presented a 4-month solo exhibition: "Inside-Outside Dinosaurs: Creating a Book with Roxie Munro" and she has two books represented in "Building Stories," the children's book exhibition curated by Leonard Marcus at the National Building Museum in Washington DC (up through Feb 2026). Her children's book art, texts, and processes are in the Kerlan Collection (Univ of Minnesota), De Grummond Collection (Southern Mississippi), the New York Public Library, and the Mazza Museum (Findlay, Ohio), among many others. Roxie studied at the University of Maryland, the Maryland Institute College of Art (Baltimore), earned a BFA in Painting from the University of Hawaii, attended graduate school at Ohio University (Athens), and received a Yaddo Fellowship. She lectures in museums, schools, libraries, conferences, and teaches in workshops. See complete resume and lots of free fun and educational activities for children to download at https://www.roxiemunro.com/

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of The Mystery of the Character Surprise show. In this 50 minute interactive assembly show students learn the communication skills and attitudes they need to help create a bully-free learning environment. Fifteen students participate on stage, putting these lessons into action – cooperating to stop a bully from ruining the assembly show. Students will also learn how to stop social aggression in its tracks. And they’ll have a blast while doing it! Topics covered throughout this bully-proofing magic assembly show include Being responsible in achieving goals, helping others, and empathy. Plus: Forms of bullying, solutions for victims, responsibilities of witnesses, tattling vs. telling. Includes: Courage | Flexibility | Perseverance | Effort | Making Good Choices | Bullies, Targets & Bystanders | Sense of Humor | Responsibility | Empathy | Honesty | Teamwork | Tattling vs. Telling

Caldecott medalist Paul O. Zelinsky’s school visits are about making connections: between a story’s key ideas and the artist’s tools he uses to express them; between the characters in a story and the reader, and hugely, his own connection to audiences of schoolchildren. Drawing for and with them, bringing them into his studio with slides and animations, he loves to get across how making books is fun, funny, interesting and an endless opportunity to learn. Many authors and illustrators with long careers and many honors and awards no longer visit schools and classrooms, but this is a connection Paul Zelinsky hopes never to give up. Paul O. Zelinsky is the creator of the classic moving-parts book THE WHEELS ON THE BUS and the Caldecott-medal-winning RAPUNZEL and its companion RUMPELSTILTSKIN, among others, and the illustrator of numerous notable books including Z is for Moose (written by Kelly Bingham), Dear Mr. Henshaw (Beverly Cleary) and many more.

Fun and creative hands-on crafts projects that demonstrate concepts in electrical circuits, coding, robotics, renewable energy, materials engineering, and more! Kathy Ceceri has been teaching and writing about STEAM activities in schools, libraries, museums, and Maker Faires for over 15 years. She is the author of Making Simple Robots, Paper Inventions, and more.

Mayta's Movement Programs: Teach to inspire. Touch the heart. “Ye are the fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch.” Baha’u’llah A philosophy centered on teaching the love of the art of movement, multiculturalism, and helping students become peaceful, global citizens. Fusion Dance: This program has been developed to enable participants to understand, be inspired by and learn about different cultures through dance. It features Flamenco (Spain), Bharatanatyam (India), West African, Modern (USA), Latin, and Caribbean dance styles. The goal of this program is for students to learn the differences, similarities, history and cultural aspects of each dance style. Students engage with this material through an embodied, experiential approach. Spanish Language through Movement: This multidisciplinary program was developed to enable participants to learn, interpret and understand Spanish language through movement. The goal of this program is to foster learning of conversational skills in a new, fun way, for use in travel and daily life. The aim is for each participant to develop a love for Spanish culture and an excitement to learn more about this beautiful language. As a key aspect of cultural immersion, students learn Latin dance styles such as Salsa, Merengue and Bachata. Creative Movement and Yoga: Explore the world of movement! This lively class introduces participants to the basic dance concepts such as rhythm space, and music. Literature, poetry, visual art, props, yoga and storytelling are included to allow the participants to stretch their bodies and their imagination! This class will improve flexibility, creativity, concentration, focus, balance, bodily awareness, and strength. Transcending language prejudice through movement: Let's have a conversation about language, being bilingual, having an accent and how one gets treated because of how one speaks. Lets listen to each others stories about language and its affects. We will be creative and explore the power that language has on the world through movement. My aim is that we find our respect for the languages of the world and to bring awareness that languages bring us together. Through movement explorations and story telling.

VRBuffalo is bringing spatial computing and immersive content creation to participants across WNY. By helping people have purposeful and thoughtful experiences with XR tech: AR (Augmented Reality), MR (Mixed Reality), and VR (Virtual Reality) technologies.

The Friends of Grant Cottage offer educational experiences related to the American Civil War, Reconstruction/Civil Rights, artifacts/historic technology. Programs can be tailored to the grade level, content preferences, and timeframe requested. Programs available at the Historic Site (May-October) and in-school (Year-round). More info at: https://www.grantcottage.org/education

Daniel Carlton is a multiple award-winning actor, storyteller, playwright, poet, lyricist, director, and teaching artist. His performances and workshops, for practically every age level, address a vast variety of topics including poetry, storytelling, history through drama, life skills through dramatic role plays, and so much more. He is also a published author. Recent performances include productions of “Finding North”(with David Gonzalez) and “The Meeting”, in addition to seventeen Off-Broadway productions, multiple solo shows, and performances with the Children of War Theater Project. Directing credits include “Jabari Dreams of Freedom” (New Victory Theater NYC, National tour), “Hero: Boy From Troy" (First Woman Productions.National Tour), “48 Hours in Harlem" (Harlem 9 Theater Co.), “Freedom Riders” (Mad River Theater Works), and “What If” (Negro Ensemble Company). An enthusiastic creator of new works, Daniel wrote and directed the national tour of “Keep Marching” (Mad River Theater Works), “March On” (Apollo Theater), “Pigfoot Mary Says Goodbye To The Harlem Renaissance” (Schomburg Center For Research and Black Culture), “Night Train 57” (Kennedy Center workshop), and “Freedom Flight” (national tour), as well as penning “A Whistle in Mississippi”, (with Micheal Green )“Check Yo Invite Parts 1 and 2”( Live Theater and Radio Play HarlemStage) and “Timeless Journeys (various tours)”. With Nambi E. Kelley, he also co-wrote “Hidden Inside”, “This Ability”, and “So Journey To The Truth”. Daniel’s work as a Storyteller has been presented in places as varied as Summerstage Kids and Family Series( Parks throughout the 5 boroughs), The Museum For The City Of NY, The Brooklyn Museum, The BrooklynChildren’s Museum, hundred of libraries, schools, temporary housing facilities, and even war zones. Solo Storytelling For Family audiences shows Include:The Eagle in Harlem and Other Tales.” Urban “Folktales Remixed” Memories of Self Journey To Weeksville, and many more. Daniel teaches acting to all ages, poetry for both the page and performance , life skills, public speaking, playwriting ,and devised theater for organizations that include : Apollo Theater Education , Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Community Works, Blackberry Productions, MadRiver Theater Works, YAFFA Performing Arts, JazzMobile, CityParks Foundation , First Woman Productions , NYU, University Of Iowa, and many more. Daniel can perform solo or, depending on budget, in duo or trio format. There are other videos on YouTube. Here's video of an interview explaining the Finding North project he performs with David Gonzalez. Daniel can perform this solo. https://youtu.be/uj7KZ4SF4nQ?si=qSk4SjB7cLr9hqFv Daniel has several other shows which we can send you information about upon request.

STEAMwhiz - The STEM Learning Lab: Creating Confident, Young Problem Solvers Welcome to STEAMwhiz - The STEM Learning Lab, where we inspire the next generation of innovators through hands-on learning experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Founded in the Capital District of New York, we bring the excitement of the lab directly to your classroom with our in-person labs and workshops. Our mission is to nurture curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills in students of all ages. What We Offer: Interactive Workshops: Our comprehensive programs include standards-aligned STEM workshops and hands-on classroom labs for local schools. Our workshops are designed to engage students in hands-on activities and experiments, making STEM concepts come to life. From fundamental concepts of magnetism and energies to more advanced robotic and engineering challenges, we provide immersive experiences that spark a love for learning. Other programs include: After-School Enrichment, Summer, and Break Camps at your location or ours! Hands-on STEM Core Labs: Grade Levels: 1st- 5th Length: 1 hour Size: 1 classroom unit per lab (max. 25 students) Prices: Starting at $250 per lab. Multi-Consecutive lab discounts are available at the time of booking. Highlighted Hands-on STEM Core Labs: Light It Up! Light is Weird. This hands-on lab investigates what light is and how we can control it through blocking, bouncing, and bending. Check out colorful shadows and rainbows in this FUNdamental light exploration lab. Suggested Grade Levels: 1st-3rd. Relevant NYS Standard(s): 1-PS4-2, 1-PS4-3, 4-PS4-2 MagLab: Magnetic Exploration Are all metals magnetic? Are all metals magnets? Using the Scientific Method to guide your learning, investigate the properties of magnets, and determine which materials are magnetic. Explore magnetic properties using magnets to attract and repel each other. Experiment with magnetic levitation and electromagnetism. Suggested Grade Levels: 3rd, 4th. Relevant NYS Standard(s): 3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-4 Energy Lab: Potential vs. Kinetic This energy lab investigates the relationship between Potential and Kinetic Energy, the Law of Conservation of Energy, and how energy is transferred between objects in a system by designing, testing, and modifying a "spool racer" powered by elastic energy. Students will design a "racer" that converts elastic potential energy into mechanical kinetic energy. Brainstorm, prototype, modify, test, and redesign variations to the basic "spool racer" design to meet different design criteria. "Show What You Know" in the ultimate problem-solving challenge, as your "spool racer" is put to the test and proves how a simple toy can be engineered to its best ability! I.D.E.A.S High-Tech MakerLabs – Inventing, Designing, & Engineering for All Students Grade Levels: 2nd- 8th Length: 1-1.5 hours Size: 1 classroom unit per lab (max. 25 students) Prices: Starting at $300 per lab. Multi-Consecutive lab discounts are available at the time of booking. Themes Include: Robotics, Drones, 3D Printing, Coding, Physical Computing Whether you choose our STEM Core Labs or High-Tech Maker Labs, all programs feature: Standards-Aligned Curriculum: the New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards and/or the Engineering Design, and Computer Science + Digital Fluency Standards. Expert Educators: Making complex concepts accessible and fun Convenient and Accessible: We bring all necessary materials and equipment to your location. For more information about our offerings, call 518-512-9595 or email: info@steamwhiz.com

Author visits are inspiring events that deepen students' enthusiasm for reading and writing. Lonni Lane Marketing works with hosts throughout the process to make author visits run seamlessly with all the details ironed out in advance of the event. Learn more about these authors and their unique programs, which can be customized for different audiences: R. W. Alley, Jonathon Auxier, Mary Casanova, Candace Fleming, Donna Gephart, Cyndi Giorgis, I.W.Gregorio, Greg Howard, Julie Leung (local author), Emma Otheguy (local author), Margi Preus, Caroline Tung Richmond, Eric Rohmann, Barb Rosenstock, Laura Shovan, Elly Swartz, Cat Winters, Dan Yaccarino