A inspirational/ motivational true story how I am overcoming a Traumatic Brain Injury after a pedestrian car accident. Healing from a Traumatic Brain Injury isn't a straight line, it is a series of loops, setbacks, and hard-won victories. My story is one that shows that not giving up is not only an action, it shows sheer strength of the human spirit.

Taikoza is a Japanese Taiko drum group that uses the powerful rhythms of the Taiko drums to create an electrifying energy that carries audiences in a new dimension of excitement. The Taiko is a large, barrel-like drum that can fill the air with rolling thunder. Drawing from Japan's rich tradition of music and performance, Taikoza has created a new sound using a variety of traditional instruments. In addition, the Taiko Taikoza incorporates bamboo flutes. Taikoza has performed in Europe and Asia. Taikoza appeared on the History Channel and “The Last Samurai “DVD set. Taikoza presents a unique and exciting program using Japanese Taiko drums (weighing 200lb drums) and bamboo flutes. The program will take you on an unforgettable journey through Japan. It will take students to different areas and through the seasons of Japan. Students will be experiencing a new culture in a fun and exciting way, they will get a chance to see and at times touch the ancestral drums. The taiko drum can touch everyone with its thunderous sounds and vibrations. Taikoza hopes to open the student’s eyes to the richness of Japanese culture and spark an interest. We hope that this will spark an interest in other world cultures. Taiko has been associated with many aspects of Japanese culture since ancient times. It is said that Taiko was used to drive away the plague and evil spirits. In the Shinto religion, it was used to call upon and entertain the gods, or kami, and in Japanese Buddhism, its sound was the manifestation of the voice of the Buddha. Taikoza’s programs can be tailored to your school’s needs and interests. In a performance by Taikoza your students may experience: They will hear and see taiko songs. Taiko is often compared to martial arts, as the drums are played very physically using sticks that resemble baseball bats. They will hear songs played on the bamboo flutes. Some will get to play on the drums and interact with the performers.

Stomping Ground is an overnight camp in the gateway to the Adirondacks in Saratoga Springs, New York. We are building radically empathetic communities through humble curiosity, personal responsibility, restorative practices, and unbounded creativity. In the off season, we offer more focused programming around community building, conflict resolution training through circles, and practices focused in empathy and inclusion. Our mission is to partner with young people to inspire the next generation of radically empathetic decision makers. Together we re-imagine a more perfect world.

We offer small group or class sized lessons on art history, including American artists Winslow Homer, George Inness, Childe Hassam, and many more. These are 45 minutes and usually include an art making activity. https://www.arkellmuseum.org/school-programs

Reggie Harris has been affiliated with the John F Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program for over two decades, offering both multimedia performances for students and communities as well as in-depth workshops for educators at all grade levels. His writing, research, fieldwork and recordings have amassed an amazing repertoire of African American music, blending spirituals and freedom songs, the old with the new. Mentored early on by Dr. Charles Blockson and by using music and storytelling to create captivating performances for audiences of all ages, he has raised awareness of the Underground Railroad in young school audiences, college symposiums and adult concerts. • Arts-in-Education Performance Offerings "Music and the Underground Railroad" (Grades K-12) The Underground Railroad is one of the most important chapters in American History. This engaging, interactive concert of songs, stories and narratives about slavery and the quest for freedom reveals the hope, power and eventually, the triumph that was accomplished and shared by a network of multicultural allies. Through song, story and audience involvement, Music & the Underground Railroad provides an understanding of the secrets and passion of this powerful era. - Curriculum Areas:  Social studies, cultural geography, history, music, storytelling - Study Guide Link:  http://loydartists.com/images/resources/UndergroundRRStudyGuide.pdf - VideoLink: (starts with lower elementary and then changes to upper elementary around the 9:15 mark):  https://youtu.be/yu1Gzic1L14 "How Martin Climbed the Mountain!" (Grades 3-12) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, but he did not dream alone. This program is an interactive multi-media presentation honoring the artists, poets, educators, inventors, explorers, scientists and other important contributors to the life and culture of America and the world, and who influenced and informed the work of Dr. King. Using stories and music, Reggie highlights how the contributions of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Banneker, Satchel Paige and others helped young Martin become a man who added to the fabric of our nation and who changed the world. - Curriculum Areas:  Social studies, cultural geography, history, music, storytelling - Study Guide Link: https://loydartists.com/images/resources/HowMartinClimbedPerfguide2019.pdf - VideoLink: https://vimeo.com/452762352 • Student Workshops Elementary: "Exploring the Underground Railroad in Song & Story and Classroom Interaction" "The Story of Children’s Impact on the Modern Civil Rights Movement / The Birmingham Children’s March" Middle: "Get On Board the Freedom Train  (Exploring the Underground Railroad)" "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize (AMERICAN EXPERIENCES IN CIVIL RIGHTS)" • Kennedy Center Professional Development for Teachers "Sing to Freedom: Music & Stories of the Underground Railroad" This proven in-service workshop offers a “hands on – classroom ready” historical and musical workshop on the Underground Railroad. Teachers receive valuable tools for building the knowledge base of students through effective art based curriculum connected lessons designed to open classroom study to a more vibrant exploration of history, music and language. Copies of the highly praised CD “Steal Away,” and an extensive teaching guide are included. The workshop explores the history of the Antebellum time period in America and provides information and context on how music and culture have been instrumental throughout history. Learning to sing, write, and update “code songs” based on historical words and phrases along with contemporary composition brings together both the musical and historical material contained in the workshop.

Davis’ programs are designed to educate and to celebrate diversity and community, to get audiences of all ages singing along, and to inspire participants to remember and share their own stories with each other and their families. They also promote literacy and cultural awareness. Davis is known for his humor, his ability to engage, his repertoire of familiar and interestingly new songs and stories, and his professionalism. Programs include a variety of ethnic percussion instruments, including guiro, shekere, bells, spoons and a dancing wooden limbergjack dog named Bingo. For almost 45 years now Davis has shared thousands of performances at schools, libraries, senior centers and community settings throughout the northeast. His recording, Family Stories, won a prestigious Parents Choice Magazine Gold Award, was named one of the years best audio recordings of by the American Library Association’s Booklist Magazine and is available for download for free on his website. Specific programs include Under One Sky, Earth Rhythms, This Land is Your Land, Imagine That, Celebrating the Season, Sea Songs & Stories and a variety of interactive workshops. "Davis is thoughtful, creative, human and a fantastic storyteller" - Pete & Toshi Seeger.

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Lower Hudson Valley provides a STEAM program that combines creativity through art with hands-on engineering builds that teach foundational STEM concepts - essentially, 21st-century skills and science through art. Each class introduces a new project featuring different robot components and art materials. Many projects incorporate sculpting, drawing, painting, and mixed-media decoration, allowing students to explore both artistic expression and scientific principles in an integrated, hands-on way.All robots designed and built by students are functional and interactive - some move, light up, vibrate, or even throw objects. Every creation is unique, reflecting each student’s artistic vision and creative approach. The program is currently active across multiple counties in New York State, offered in both public and private schools as after-school enrichment, in-school residencies, workshops, assemblies, and special events. Our program is recognized by STEM.org as one of the Top 5% “Best in STEM” programs for 2025. The robots we build in class are never the same — while the building process is guided, each student’s artistic vision and design make every creation unique.

Discover the fascinating world of Native American folklore, respect for nature and a sense of family, community and caring for the land. Marty Hight shares her stories about beliefs held deeply sacred and get an inside look at how the Native Americans world changed as their land was taken and they were forced to march to a new and strange land. Or, learn how to craft corn husk dolls and hear the story about her creation. Marty invites your students to help illustrate her stories, demonstrate dances and celebrates their special gifts. In this school assembly, history comes alive as stories told for centuries are shared in an engaging way to impart character lessons and tribal history. It’s ideal for Grades K-6. TOPICS INCLUDE: HISTORY • CULTURE • STORYTELLING • SINGING • NATURE • TRADITIONS • DIVERSITY • LANGUAGE • CRAFTS • AND MORE! Marty Hight (Ma-ha-gum-se / Shawnee) is a Native American who has a Cherokee and Shawnee heritage. She is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma who draws from family history and storytelling to share her people’s history, language, songs, customs, rituals and legends through vivid narratives. Reach out today to learn how you can join in the excitement when you host Marty Hight!

Sandra K. Athans is an award-winning children’s author and a published literacy specialist with vast classroom experience. Her children’s books represent a mix of playfulness, adventure, discovery, and fun! Her goal is to “glue” kids to her book’s pages with high-interest content that is full of page-turning wonder! In Tales from the Top of the World – Sandra shares nonfiction vignettes of her brother’s seven summits of Mt. Everest. In Secrets of the Sky Caves – she invites readers on scientific expeditions to remote cliff caves in Nepal. These are but two of her many works, which she shares with students in lively and engaging multi-media presentations. Sandra has written at every level, from early childhood fiction, through to award-winning middle grade nonfiction and above. She is currently working on Chasing Curious Creatures, a playful nonfiction series about unusual animals and the scientists who study them (Astra Books for Children – 2025). Sandra also continues to publish teacher and student resources within the educational market and can provide reading/writing workshops for students and/or teachers along with her author visits.

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

Marica Monori and Patrick Durkin (owners of Capital Ceramic Supply) offer a deep dive workshop into ceramics, firings, with an emphasis on wood-firings. The workshop consists of lecture time (a slideshow about the different types of clay and firings/kilns, all things wood-firing related), a question and answer section, and a 30 minute of hands-on work for students with wood-fire clay that we provide. Later on their creations will be fired in our wood kiln then returned to them as a unique piece of art and memory.

Kate Klise wrote her first book when she was ten years old, so she speaks with a certain authority when she encourages children to begin their writing careers now. With more than thirty books to her credit (picture books, early readers, middle grade novels, and one YA title), Kate relates well to students of all ages. When working with early readers (grades K-2, 30 minutes), Kate offers gentle advice about writing stories and invites students to create an original story on the spot. When presenting to older students (grades 3–6, 50 minutes), Kate focuses on the writing process: where she gets her ideas, how she writes her rough drafts, why the art of rewriting is so critical, and—yes!—how she comes up with all those punny names in the Regarding and 43 Old Cemetery Road series. In addition, Kate explains the classic elements of storytelling, including the importance of sending characters on journeys. In addition to large-group presentations, Kate also offers fiction and non-fiction writing workshops for smaller groups (30 students or less, 50 minutes). As a 15-year veteran for People magazine, Kate enjoys sharing her tips and tricks for writing on deadline. Over the years she’s taught countless students how to write colorful, compelling, and often hilarious People magazine-style stories about themselves and others.