Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve is a 54-acre park located the site of a former cement quarry in Hamburg, NY. Our visitors can collect and keep Devonian Period fossils including trilobites, brachiopods, crinoids, and more! Penn Dixie’s guided tours are led by our trained staff and volunteers who provide age-appropriate presentations on the history of planet Earth. Participants will learn about deep time, extinct life, Western New York’s environment during the Devonian Period and – of course- fossil collecting! Your group will experience earth science in a unique, hands-on, outdoor setting. All geological specimens found during field trips may be kept by participants! Additionally, we offer in-person and virtual classroom outreach programs focused on the natural sciences.

Brent Daniels is an entertainment industry veteran and award-winning music producer who uses the latest technology to sculpt sound and create music for Marvel Studios, Disney Studios, Netflix, Activision, Epic Records, and many more. His Virtual Music Technology assembly shows K-12 students how their everyday devices are used by professionals to create the music and sounds they love, and how they can do it too! Prepare to have your perception of virtual assemblies changed! Virtual Music Technology is a one-of-a-kind education and entertainment experience in which student volunteers contribute in real-time (rapping, shouting, singing) and help Brent create music on the spot. By the end of the show, your whole school will be up and dancing!

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.

You Can Do a Graphic Novel, Comic Book, Meme, or Zine Categories: Creative Writing, Visual Arts Curriculum. Costs VIRTUAL PROGRAMS (ZOOM) One-hour interactive classes, unlimited participants: $500.00 LIVE IN-PERSON PROGRAMS One day: $1,200.00 Four days: $3,800.00 Eight days: $6,500.00 For venues more than 40 miles from Hudson, NY travel cost of $0.50 mile will be added. For venues more than 40 miles from Valatie, NY travel cost of $0.50 mile will be added. Available year-round. Program Theme: Students learn how to create a graphic novel beginning with a six page comic. It doesn’t matter if they can draw. Stick figures are an expressive way for the reluctant artist to begin. Participants are encouraged to bring their sketchbooks and characters they may already be working on. They will learn about The Creative Process, how to write a Character Study, focus on the beginning, middle, end and twist of a story, and Create Layouts. If the program is an assembly, Barbara talks though the program with on-screen illustrations of the process. The school is to provide a computer, projector and screen. Program Description: Each program is custom tailored to the grade, number of students in the class, and number of sessions. If there are four or more sessions per class, the program finishes with a Graphic Novel Exhibition (see below). The Creative Process: 20 creative tips. Creating Characters: Participants complete bio sheets with the character’s name, age, best friend/side kick, powers (if any), biggest fear, life goal, etc. Plotting: Learning how to plot challenges the student to complete a story. Too many begin the story and throw it out somewhere in the middle. The student learns to plot by color code, a method used by film/tv/graphic novel writers. Layout: Participants learn about panels, thumbnails, dialogue balloons, sequence, and making a page pop. Rather than drawing “talking heads,” they draw a close-up, pull back for a long shot, followed by interior, exterior, bird’s eye views. Everybody works at their own pace. Some are advanced artists/writers while others are beginners. It doesn’t matter where they begin as long as they get going. I hand out a “character bible” sheet and encourage them to think about the beginning, middle, end and twist of their story. The twist is what makes the story interesting. I bring in samples of character bibles from Marvel comics which they can keep, and scripts written by professionals. Feedback is an important part of the program. It usually begins when I hold up a student’s drawing and ask them to suggest a name, age, or character trait. The student can take the suggestions or discard them, however, it opens up discussions. In the first session, students are sometimes quiet/shy with other students but by the second, they open up about their characters and stories. After the last workshop, the doors open to parents, friends, relatives, the community, and the local press. Students show and talk about their work…where they got their inspiration for characters/story. The “Graphic Novel Exhibition” attracts a lot of attention and often results in newspaper articles. Having artwork in the newspaper is great for a student’s self-esteem and for their portfolio. Copies of Barbara's textbook You Can Do a Graphic Novel can be ordered for the school library, and discounts are available from the publisher for class-size orders. http://youcandoagraphicnovel.com/students1.htm

The Story Ship takes audiences on a one-of-a-kind interactive adventure. Each performance blends comedy, theater, magic, music, robots, animation, and immersive video to create an unforgettable experience for kids. Students don’t just watch—they actively participate by solving puzzles, helping with magic tricks, dancing to upbeat music, and interacting with animated characters throughout the story. With a giant video screen and incredible props, every show feels like stepping into a larger-than-life world. We currently offer five exciting programs: Diggery Digger’s Dino Adventure (Science) The Great Pirate Race (Math) Aliens Alive! (STEAM) Super Me! (Anti-Bullying) The Rainbow Thief (Art)

A former college professor with an MFA in Creative Writing, Ken Waldman combines Appalachian-style string-band music, original poetry, and smart storyteller for an experience unique to him. He's been a visiting writer at over 100 colleges, and has been a visiting artist at over 250 schools in 35 states, and works with kindergartners, at-risk and advance placement high-schoolers, and with all ages in between.

My name is Leah, and I’m the founder of Brave Lion. I’m a certified mindfulness and yoga practitioner, and a true child at heart! Thank you for checking out my profile. My program offers are listed below, but first, I thought I’d share some nice things educators and administrators have said about working with me: “Leah brings this work to life, it’s not just another SEL lesson or worksheet. The way she is able to connect with students and help them embody this work is a gift.” - District Director of Curriculum (North Country) “Leah's love and enthusiasm for neuroscience mindfulness education truly engaged all the students. She had such a special way of making each child feel heard. Her style allowed for students to connect the learning to their own lives, which made it very meaningful. The entire lesson execution was extraordinary!” - 3rd Grade Educator (Capital District) “She was absolutely wonderful. Taught in a way that felt very inclusive and open. I was not very comfortable with the practice in my own implementation and she really helped me feel comfortable with trying a multitude of ways and that they were all effective.” - Educator, Participating in Mindfulness for Educators (Capital District) Here is who we are and some of the ways we can work together to cultivate a more mindful way of being in your school community: Brave Lion offers students and educators with personalized and accessible (neuroscience-based) mindful tools to bolster emotional, mental and physical well-being. These self-study tools result in reduced stress, improved emotional regulation, enhanced personal + professional relationships and holistic-minded resilience. We bravely offer partnerships with schools and organizations including; in-class lessons (series or single topic), assemblies, educator professional development, parents education and consultation. Programming: Assemblies (Elementary K-2, 3-5) School-based Mindfulness and Movement Programming Physical Education Yoga (MIndful Movement) Take Over Professional Development and Keynote Speaking Digital Wellness + Taming Tech: Education and Coaching 1:1 and Group Mindful Mapping Nurtured in Nature: A Guide to Connecting Students to the Natural World If you’d like, you can learn more about the Brave Lion approach by viewing this brief presentation: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGXxHcOjpk/FTp4xpFYDo4nE9N6WgWyjQ/view?utm_content=DAGXxHcOjpk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h6a09711bb3 Thank you!! Be well and take care of yourself and others :)

Being One World provides research-informed professional development designed to strengthen staff effectiveness, resilience, and school culture. Services include workshops and multi-session training in growth mindset, trauma-informed practice, mindfulness-based self-regulation, emotional intelligence, and conscious leadership development. Workshops support educators and leaders in reducing stress-driven reactivity, improving communication and collaboration, building identity-affirming learning environments, and sustaining performance in high-demand settings. All sessions are practical, experiential, and aligned with district goals related to social-emotional learning, staff wellness, culturally responsive practice, and improved student outcomes. Professional development is available in in-person formats and can be customized to meet district priorities.

Deon Butler is a former NFL player, Author and Literacy Advocate.

We offer workshops with middle and high school bands to help promote instrumental music in our schools. We can present a concert of the best in wind band literature. We can have CVWE members sit in rehearsals with middle school/high school bands, and we can combine our group with the school band for a piece or two for a concert presentation. We have found this especially effective with some of the smaller schools who may not have enough students in band to play in a "full band" situation. Our participation also highlights the lifelong love of instrumental music as our group spans the ages of 16 to 80+. While many of our group are current or retired music teachers, many are not, which shows that you can have a career besides music, but still have opportunities to play as an advocation.

Educational Market Best-Selling Author and TEDx speaker Jermiko Thomas delivers engaging literacy and social-emotional learning programs through the Adventures of Walter series. Programs support literacy development, STEM curiosity, SEL skills, bullying prevention, autism inclusion, and positive character development through interactive storytelling and classroom engagement. The Adventures of Walter collection also includes student learning resources such as activity workbooks, coloring books, and an American Sign Language (ASL) Alphabet & Numbers workbook, helping reinforce literacy, creativity, and inclusive learning. Jermiko’s programs are inspired by his personal journey — he did not speak until age six and first communicated through sign language, making his work especially meaningful for students with diverse learning and communication needs. Programs are designed for elementary schools (Pre-K–5) and can be delivered as assemblies, classroom workshops, literacy events, STEM enrichment sessions, and special education programming.

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