You Inc provides engaging programming for K-12 to encourage students to develop good money habits and growth mindsets about money early on and continuously throughout their development. Topics related to money and personal finance should be introduced to students at each grade level. Just as math and reading have several different facets and sub topics for children to master from kindergarten to 12th grade and beyond, personal finance also has its own nuances and categories that can and should be mastered early in a child's development and continue to evolve into more complex topics and subtopics as children grow and develop into young adults. By doing so, we develop a generation of financially secure adults who experience better financial outcomes due to making better financial decisions. Our workshops help students understand the basics of earning, saving, budgeting, and giving back. For younger children, we use interactive activities and storytelling to introduce financial concepts in a fun and relatable way, laying the groundwork for good habits and smart decision-making. For older students, we dive deeper, covering topics such as goal-setting, smart spending, credit, and pathways to building wealth—all tailored to prepare them for the responsibilities of adulthood. We also emphasize the importance of financial independence and provide students with tools to break free from cycles of financial instability that they may see in their communities. Our culturally competent approach ensures that all students see themselves reflected in the material, and we prioritize empathy, understanding, and real-life application in a way that fosters financial inclusion for all. Our team is certified in financial education from the National Financial Educators Council with over a decade of experience teaching financial literacy across New York State. We are also a certified NYS Minority and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE). Our goal is to help K-12 students gain essential life skills and grow up feeling confident and capable in managing their financial lives. Let's inspire a generation of students who are not only financially aware but also equipped to pursue their dreams with a strong, sustainable financial foundation. In addition to k-12 programs, we offer Family Finance Programs for the entire family unit, including parents and caregivers. These one day programs can take place in the evening and students attend with their parents/guardians and two separate workshops take place simultaneously, equipping the family ecosystem to elevate their money conversations in the home, and providing tools and strategies to help parents optimize their family finances while nurturing a culture of healthy financial habits in the home.

In the Footsteps of History is a transformative educational experience that takes students on extraordinary journeys led by renowned modern-day explorers. The culmination of 14 years of dedicated teaching in both public and private schools across the nation, this groundbreaking program, developed by a diverse team of leading educators, professors, writers, award-winning documentary filmmakers, explorers, and world-class game designers, is unlike anything you’ve experienced in the classroom before! Presenting a new way of learning history that ignites curiosity and passion, In the Footsteps of History seamlessly blends live explorer-in-residence programming, with cutting edge technology, investigation, and academic rigor that brings history to life through the excitement of adventure and exploration. (Works on Chromebook, PC or Mac).

Scuba Steve will read and discuss portions of his book(s) with students, there will be video and photos to bring the books to life. Scuba Steve will engage with the students, speaking and answering questions about what inspired him to become a professional scuba diver and environmental conservationist and how he was able to redirect this passion into writing books as well as his writing process. Additional topics will include current issues facing the marine environment, its inhabitants, and what each of us, even children, can do to help. Proceeds from book sales go to his “Read4Reefs” program to help ensure their sustainability and future.

School Assembly: First Choice & A Second Chance This program begins with an introduction video aimed at knocking down the stigma attached to substance use disorder, educating the audience on the current drug epidemic, and setting the stage for a powerful, honest and heartfelt story. During interviews with Stephen’s family, it becomes clear he had a great childhood. “No one saw this coming.” Through sharing his lived experience, Stephen shows how mental health struggles can lead to addiction, the consequences of substance use, and how stigma prevented him from asking for help and contributed to his inability to recover. His storytelling technique allows each individual person to draw conclusions in their own meaningful way as it relates to their own life. By focusing on the progression of his dependence—beginning to end—attendees will gain a better understanding of how the choices they make today will affect them, and those around them, for the rest of their lives. The trifecta gateway drugs of nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana introduced to Stephen in 8th grade by older peers was just the beginning, eventually leading to self-destructive behaviors, criminal convictions, and a deadly opioid addiction that Stephen directly states he would have never made it out alive if fentanyl was as prevalent during his addiction as it is today. He takes you through his struggles and extremely difficult times, then slowly transitions into sobriety—emphasizing that recovery is possible. Through practicing gratitude, healthy routines, and changing his mindset to view his challenges as opportunities to inspire others, profound changes began to happen in Stephen’s life. The pivotal moment occurred just before he celebrated one year of recovery. Stephen was given a second chance to turn his mess into a message by working in the field of addiction treatment and prevention. From there, he gained the confidence to share his story, go back to college and eventually law school. Today, he speaks all across the country to inspire others to lead healthy, substance-free lives. Attendees will leave this program better educated on mental health and substance use, with practical tools and coping skills to work through challenges, a better understanding of the ripple effect—how our actions influence and impact others, and with a goal-oriented mindset to build a life worth protecting. Breakout Sessions: Break the Silence As a follow-up to the assembly, breakout sessions build on Stephen’s talk and focus on reinforcing key concepts. These sessions offer students a unique chance to ask personal questions and engage in open discussions in a comfortable, intimate setting. Each session delves deeper into the most crucial topics covered in the assembly, allowing students to ask relevant questions and share their takeaways. Typically held in Health and PE classes, these sessions can be tailored to specific grades or customized schedules. Stephen’s Breakout Session worksheet allows students to submit anonymous responses, fostering honesty and openness. The anonymous data collected offers critical insights for schools, helping them identify areas where further support or follow-up might be necessary. Additionally, these insights can be used to reinforce the positive takeaways from Stephen's message throughout the school year, ensuring that the impact of the sessions continues to resonate with students long after the program concludes. Assembly/Workshop: Know the Law, Save a Life An interactive program educating high school seniors on laws related to drugs and alcohol, as well as the legal and moral consequences of their actions. Stephen begins by qualifying himself through sharing his experience on both sides of the law, both as a defendant during his struggles with substance use and now as a defense attorney in recovery. Students learn basic courtroom terms, criminal laws, civil laws, and the potential penalties and liability that can follow from breaking these laws. Stephen gives fact patterns with real life scenarios so students can see how these laws play out in situations young people are faced with everyday. Some of the laws covered are the Good Samaritan Law, DWI/DUI & Zero Tolerance, Vehicular Homicide, Strict Liability for Drug-Induced Deaths, Social Host Liability, Providing Alcohol to Minors, Fake IDs, Hazing, Affirmative Consent to Sexual Activity, and Defamation of Character. Stephen also covers fentanyl and the misperception of harm due to the legalization of marijuana. Professional Development: Transforming Youth Discipline & Justice with Restorative Practices Transforming school discipline and criminal justice policies from punitive to restorative practices for youth struggling with substance use disorder not only saves lives—it builds lives worth defending. School administrators and law enforcement face significant challenges to find the most effective response when a young person—anyone under the age of 25—breaks the law or violates a code of conduct for drugs and alcohol. Stephen Hill brings extensive personal and professional experience on this topic. His unique perspective comes from his work as a criminal defense attorney with a focus on drug and alcohol related offenses, recovery coach, and youth motivational speaker. His work was inspired by his own adverse childhood experiences—out-of-school suspensions, removal from school sports teams, felony convictions—the labels and stigma that came with it, and the trauma that followed. We often hear administrators and law enforcement, when faced with an individual who violated the law or code of conduct, must make decisions by balancing the best interests of the individual and the community. Stephen’s training helps people recognize how the best interests of individual offenders and communities align more than most people think. Through sharing his personal testimony and advocacy work today, Stephen reveals innovative solutions for schools and communities to develop systems to achieve better outcomes for young people facing behavioral and/or criminal justice challenges because of substance use disorder or a co-occurring disorder. At the end of this session participants will be able to: Recognize situations, when dealing with youth discipline and justice, that require restorative practices to achieve better outcomes Explain why punishment is not effective for specific or general deterrence for youth struggling with substance use disorder or a co-occurring disorder Communicate the ideology and evidence behind restorative practices—particularly for youth—so more people in their community can understand and support restorative practices Develop systems and procedures for youth discipline and justice that add more protective factors rather than removing them with strictly punitive measures

Living Wall Fiber Art Community Program The Living Wall is a community based, collaborative art program that focuses on the hands-on art of wet felting. During this program students learn a variety of felting techniques to experience how wool can be sculpted and painted with to create three dimensional forms, patterns and unique fiber creations. Over the course of three sessions, participating classes will learn to wet felt flowers, mushrooms, moths, leaves, stones and vines using different hands on felting techniques. They range from techniques that are purely hand based, meaning no extra tools are needed which are best for grades k-2 and techniques that require felting mats that are provided by myself, the teaching artist, which are best for grades 3 and up. Those felted pieces of flora and fauna are then added to one large piece of background felt to create the look and feel of a living wall. It is an organically textured quilt or 3D sculptural base is made entirely of hand felted wool and will sometimes represent trees, roots and branches. The final piece will be hung at the school in the location of the schools choosing. The Living Wall is meant to be a reminder of how important green spaces are to human beings, how important our environment is and how we need nature in our lives to be healthy and happy. It serves as a lesson in using, understanding and appreciating natural fibers, as well as learning about the sustainability of wool. It is also a symbol of community and the beauty of working together to create one beautiful piece of work. In the same way an ecosystem has many individual elements that work together in harmony to create beautiful natural spaces and systems that benefit us all. The cost of this residency program is $6250 which includes all materials, tools, in class time and the assembly of the final sculpture. There may be an additional cost to the program that will be dependent on the distance to the school and the length of the program to cover travel costs.

We are among America’s most sought-after school assembly speakers. The Omegaman & Friends presentation is a 45-60-minute interactive assembly with a SUPERHERO theme. It's filled with powerful visual illustrations, designed to promote good behavior by one of our SUPERHERO presenters. It’s hard for a speaker wearing a suit & tie to get most students’ attention nowadays. When a student sees one of our team members snap a baseball bat, rip a 400-page book in half, and bend steel in his teeth it grabs the student’s attention. The feats of strength are used as a tool to captivate and maintain the attention of the students, ensuring that the message is not lost. Each illustration is connected to an object lesson that will inspire your students to make the right choices when it comes to bullying, peer pressure and personal achievement. Research suggests that the best way to deal with issues that students are now facing is through comprehensive programs that focus on changing the climate of a school. Our presentation does exactly that! Our Mission: To promote positive Choices and move the student’s hearts and minds to contemplate positive change and new direction for their lives! Contact us TODAY for availability and a FREE quote.

I teach fun, hands-on painting workshops with a specialty in watercolor, gouache, and murals!

The Arts Engagement and Education Department serves as a vital bridge between artistic expression and community involvement. Rooted in the belief that art is transformative and essential for personal and societal growth, the department is dedicated to fostering creativity, nurturing talent, and promoting cultural understanding through various educational and engagement initiatives. Our mission is to enrich lives and strengthen communities through the power of the arts. By providing accessible and inclusive arts education, innovative programs, and meaningful community engagements, we aim to inspire creativity, cultivate diverse talents, and foster a deep appreciation for the arts. We offer many programs such as Junior Theatre Celebration, On School Time performances, a high school musical theatre awards program, residencies, 4 theatre camps, and more.

I am the author of a fantasy novel called The Knights: Lost in the Void. The story is assessible to everyone, but has been popular with teen boys who are not necessarily readers because it follows the style of comic books and anime. The story takes place in a fantasy world but the three main characters are facing real life situations regarding severe trauma, bullying, and anger and have to come to terms with those issues before they can succeed in their mission. There are glimpses of depression, anxiety, and grief in the latter part of the book, so the novel can be triggering for some people. I can offer the following programs: Book discussions for teens Book discussions fantasy Book discussions for boys Writing workshops

I offer both Picture Book presentations and Creative Writing workshops. My 5 picture books are centered on themes such as rejection/belonging, kindness/friendship, trying new things, etc. These stories are delightful for young ones, catering to their imagination, and are not preachy! My Picture Book Presentation consists of pre-reading Q&A, picture book reading, digital presentation of writing-illustrating-publishing process, and post-presentation Q&A. This is suitable for one time sessions for grades K-2. My Creative Writing workshops consists of helping young writers to create their individual story outlines which they then use to begin writing their story drafts. I read their drafts and give them personalized feedback for them to use in their new drafts. These workshops are suitable for multiple sessions and for grades 3-5. For references, see my website. My credentials include having a Creative Writing degree from Columbia University and I was also a former ELA/ENL Teaching Fellow.

The program involves creating movement plays. Experimental Dance Theatre.

Your school will be amazed at the magic. They will laugh at the hysterical comedy. But most importantly, they will get excited about being Fit! The bFit Show is a 45-minute elementary fitness and nutrition program designed to get your kids interested in getting Fit. The show uses magic, comedy, juggling, music, and tons of audience participation to deliver a powerful and motivational message that kids in America need to hear! The bFit Show uses magic, comedy, juggling, and audience participation to get your elementary school excited about eating healthy, fitness, nutrition, and exercise! Students, teachers, parents, and administrators will love and talk about The bFit Show for days, weeks, and months to come. And this program may help your school fight child obesity, diabetes, and heart disease! The bFit Show with Brian Richards is an elementary health and fitness assembly that will get your students up and moving!