At the Utica Zoo, we are able to offer a variety of educational experiences both at the zoo itself and at Beaversprite, our conservation education center. Firstly, we offer field trips at both sites. Field trips to the zoo can be self-guided or fully educator led and can include a zoo introduction or curated conservation class tailored to the groups learning objectives. Beaversprite trips are all educator led and include exploration of the visitor center and guided hikes of the pristine 1300-acre wetland property. We additionally offer zoo outreach programs in a variety of styles, in which we aim to bring the zoo to you. For our outreach "Zoomobile" programs, we typically bring between three to five live ambassador animals and give a presentation on their biology, ecology, and conservation status and challenges. We also offer more heavily conservation focused programs, stressing issues like climate change, habitat loss, or invasive species. For these programs we bring fewer live animals but will bring a customizable PowerPoint presentation on the topic of choice and/or a guided activity that encourages active engagement by the students.

In "Fact or Fiction" performers tell stories through dance. Are they true? The audience decides! The show is a ton of fun, with an electrifying cast and a ton of heart! Audiences laugh, maybe cry, and definitely have something to talk about after the show. We bring the auction paddles for voting; you bring the students! This show has inspired multiple offshoot projects amongst students and teachers.

Get ready to laugh out loud! Comic Magician Brian Richards entertains and engages with his award-winning comedy magic show. The Funny Magic Show blends magic and comedy to create a FUN, and FUNNY! Magic school assembly Show loved by all ages! Audience participation gets the whole crowd involved! Every presentation of this hilarious school assembly features magic, comedy, juggling, puppetry, and a ton of audience participation. The Funny Magic Show will make a great addition to your next family fun night or schoolwide fundraiser. This program also makes a great reward incentive! If you’re looking for a school assembly that’s JUST for FUN! And all-around entertaining and engaging for all ages, this is it!

For more than 20 years we, (the VanRipers), have enjoyed the privilege of presenting at schools, libraries, conferences, and on radio and television with our message: The 3 R’s: Reading, (w)Riting & Relationships. Thousands of students, including many reluctant readers, have been encouraged to remain engaged with reading and been challenged to try their own hand at writing. During a typical presentation, students are exposed to the fundamentals of the craft as the mystique of the publishing process is also removed. Our primary goal is to inspire children to read and write. We also encourage them to set aside their electronic devices to get out and explore the great outdoors!

Award-winning, internationally renowned musical storytelling duo Barry Marshall and Jeri Burns PhD, aka, The Storycrafters, present performance, workshop and residency programs integrating storytelling with numerous areas of curriculum. Storytelling has been documented in multiple studies as a support and building block of literacy. Schools that participate in storytelling programs see marked improvement in student language, reading and creating writing abilities. Storycrafters programs work to enhance student literacy through the storytelling art form. Storytelling also acts as an active support to many areas of curriculum, including character education, history, multicultural and international studies, and more. The Storycrafters have been working in schools and other venues since 1991, building a vast repertoire of stories and workshops to introduce storytelling and use it to enhance many areas of student learning. In addition, The Storycrafters present workshops for parents and teachers introducing the many ways storytelling can enhance student development in the home and classroom. With 30+ years of experience in the storytelling art form and its many use in the classroom and school environment, The Storycrafters are a valuable resource for any school community looking to enhance literacy while supporting many areas of curriculum.

DINOSAURS ROCK, celebrating 25 years, offers 4 science-themed events - DINOSAURS ROCK, GEMS ROCK, OCEANS & SHARKS ROCK and INSECTS ROCK - Each includes an expansive Museum Exhibit, highly interactive and entertaining Assembly Show with lots of audience volunteers, accompanying keynote video and hands-on activity such as a dig where each student takes home real fossil, mineral or seashell matching the theme. DINOSAURS ROCK: Topics include dinosaur anatomy, fossil formation, adaptation.. with a 20+ piece exhibit including a 5-ft wide t-rex skull, 6-ft allosaurus leg, dinosaur egg & footprint (students can touch!) and many more specimens. Hands-on options include a fossil dig, excavation, geode-opening, amber discovery, fossil shark tooth necklace-making, trilobite excavation... OCEANS & SHARKS ROCK: Museum Exhibit - specimens include taxidermy shark & stingray (students touch!), giant crab plaques, oversized sponge, shells, jellyfish - note: no live creatures. Show covers fascinating sea creatures and "Earth Day, "anti pollution, environmental message about saving our oceans. Hands-on seashell/sea fossil dig plus other options like shark tooth necklace-making and excavations. GEMS ROCK: Earth science-based program focusing on the critical uses of rocks & Minerals in our everyday lives, how the earth and rocks were formed and more, with a museum exhibit of genuine minerals such as amethyst, quartz, geodes, etc. - hand-on activities include panning for take-home gemstones with other options including excavations, geode opening, gemstone mining with our 25-ft rushing water sluice! INSECTS ROCK: Museum Exhibit of awesome taxidermy insects behind acrylic/glass of a variety of cool insects (no live creatures) with show topics including metamorphosis, insect anatomy, how a fly flies and more. Age appropriate for PreK-high school; we modify the program based on grades. The opportunity to see museum quality exhibits up-close, be active participants in our shows and take home real specimens with our hands-on experiential approach make each of these a highly memorable and unique event. Ask about our Museum Shop for discounted rates.

I offer a wide range of opportunities to connect and give students both a visual and hands on experience through creativity. From mural painting to creating custom garments and being a social justice and arts activist, I use art as a catalyst to not only teach about the correlation of self love through art but to be an aid in leaving a long lasting and positive impact in communities with color.

Airigami is, at its heart, a team of artists who create large-scale installations, illustrations, and experiences entirely out of balloons—from small single sculptures and STEAM programs to stadium-sized, record-breaking installations. The common element in all our work: Attention-grabbing wonder. Our clients come to us for all kinds of projects. Airigami has built a range of inspiring programs around balloons that’s educational and unforgettable. We’ve worked with organizations of many types all around the world. Our displays can interpret important cultural touchstones like famous masterpieces and historic environments that inspire. Balloon sculptures can invigorate curiosity about familiar subjects. Balloons can even serve as the center of powerful team-building exercises. * How to Catch a Mouse: Simple Machines at Work While working on his master’s degree in elementary education, Airigami partner Larry Moss created How to Catch a Mouse as a presentation for grade-schoolers. The response to the first performance was so strong, he developed it for larger audiences. The show combines math, science, art and fun. Balloons are used to construct a Rube Goldberg-style mousetrap intended to solve the problem of a mouse on the loose. Student volunteers are invited to participate in building the working machine. It’s a dynamic way to teach kids how machines work and inspire them to eagerly set the trap in motion for themselves. The show is ideal for elementary school assembly programs and children’s museums. * Bubble Mural™ Designed by the experts at Airigami, this hands-on exhibit engages visitors in a collaborative project that offers maximum impact with minimal mess. Participants work together to construct a 2-D installation made entirely of biodegradable latex balloons. * Team Building Airigami’s Team Building program is designed to foster cooperation among participants—rather than competition. And the best part is, everyone who joins in starts at the same level: square one.

THE WESTERN NEW YORK BOOK ARTS CENTER promotes greater understanding of printing and book-related arts through education, creation, and exhibition for a broad and diverse community. Located in the heart of downtown Buffalo, just a block away from the downtown library, our Center is a vibrant place of creativity! We boast a rotating gallery showcasing the work of local artists working in book & printmaking, an artisan shop representing 75+ regional artists, stocked with handmade wares like handprinted cards, posters, apparel and handmade books of all kinds. The gem of our center is ouR studio, where we host hands-on origami & hand stitched bookmaking workshops, and classes in screen print and letterpress printing by hand on our antique presses - for students of all ages. create a letterpress printed poster with your own custom saying, hand-print a t-shirt or tote bag with your custom design, or bind a handmade journal to use back in the school classroom! in classes students will learn about the history of the craft they're engaging with, and work with specialty artists' tools to create a work of art by hand from start to finish.

Telling multicultural folktales is an amazing way to introduce students to different cultures, learn story structure, boost vocabulary, and enhance pre-reading skills. Storytelling fosters imagination, creativity and is a great jumping off point for writing exercises, and discussions about elements of story from character motivations to rising action. Professional storyteller and author Donna Washington presents age-appropriate story sets to all of your students from Kindergarten to high school. There are perfect stories for all age groups from Anansi the Spider to Zeus! Donna uses dynamic language, energetic expressions and vocal pyrotechnics to bring these stories to life. So, strap yourself in for a wild, fun, entertaining, educational, interactive ride! Use this link to view a video excerpt from this program: https://vimeo.com/442549489/80e27ea56c Artist Background Donna Washington is a professional author, storyteller, and multicultural folklorist who has been sharing stories for more than 36 years. Her amazing vocal pyrotechnics and dynamic physicality make her stories come alive and enthrall and delight audiences from four to one hundred and four. She offers a range of multicultural folktales, personal narratives and stories of her own creation. She is a multiple-award winning artist with eleven CDs and author of five children’s books. Her newest, PRAK FILLS THE HOUSE is available September 1st, 2023. She has been featured at numerous festivals, schools & libraries, theaters, and other venues around the world including Canada, Peru, Argentina, and Hong Kong. Her school shows are grade specific and targeted to students’ age, cognitive, and emotional development.

Fun and learning go hand-in-hand when you book a fall field trip to Ellms Family Farm. Pick pumpkins, explore a maze, attend the educational “chicken show”, and so much more. Students from pre-k and elementary school, all the way through sixth grade, enjoy the mix of agricultural learning experiences and old-fashioned barnyard fun.

Megan Litwin is an award-winning children's book author and former educator with over ten years of classroom experience. She believes that reading is magic, writing is fun, and creativity is contagious! Megan offers a range of programs from curriculum-connected, hands-on classroom workshops centered around poetry or catching ideas to inspirational and interactive assemblies focused on the journey of a book from idea to publication. She also offers professional development workshops on the power of poetry and picture books in the classroom, singing/movement-based storytimes for preschool or kindergarten, and much more. Born and raised in the Capital Region, Megan loves coming back to work with New York schools.