Our publisher visits bring the world of publishing to your classroom or library! Technology has made publishing more accessible than ever before, and it's important that kids learn how books are made from start to finish by creative people, not machines. Our school visits: - show kids what publishers do and who is involved in the book-making process - teach kids how a picture book takes shape, from manuscript to printed book - give students the opportunity to ask questions - include real-life examples for students to interact with - demonstrate how kids can publish their work through a fun zine-making activity

Demonstration based assemblies focusing on the science of soap bubbles, light and color, and the wonder to be found in common situations. Beginning with a simple soap bubble we resist the urge to pop and instead observe as it goes through its four stages. We explain why bubbles form spheres at age appropriate levels and then show how multiple bubbles can create a variety of shapes including a cube. Participants are taught the tricks of bubble artists and in workshops they are given the opportunity to be successful. Altman taught high school physics for 35 years and traveled to science conferences speaking about his award winning programs focusing on lasers and holography. Retired, he as authored four science text books and one on the science of soap bubbles.

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.

Cartooning, character design, storytelling for comic books, comic strips and graphic design. Interactive group projects and an overall positive environment for children to be creative with no judgement.

We offer a one of a kind school mural program where the students are centered in the work and entire process from brainstorming to final painting. Our mural process involves a brainstorming session where we have the students drawing and coming up with ideas that touch on the theme that is chosen by their school. We then take those drawings and create a digital sketch using the actual drawings from the students. We involve every student from the school in the painting process so that they are able to have ownership and a hand in the creative process. Our unique approach creates a sense of joy and excitement for all participating students and staff as we are able to transform these hallways into large colorful pieces of public art that have an authentic student look and feel to them. We make sure that the final outcome looks professional and clean while still elevating student work from the paper to the wall. We have painted with over 7000 students in the past 2 years creating about 25 murals! We also offer a variety of arts based hands on workshops crafted for all age groups like mask making, printmaking, paper pulp sculptures, paper mache and much more!

The Art Thing Collaborative, Inc. is a social arts crew on a mission to bring people together by bringing art to the people! We offer fun and inspiring community-focused "Art Things" for kids (and grownups!) of all ages: from epic, hands-on creative battles like Art WAR to big collaborative projects and pop-up, art adventures like Positive Space, where art isn’t just something you look at, it’s something you can play in! We invite your school and community to team up with us to create something inspiring and have some unforgettable fun at The Art Thing!

Cheryl Wills is the 3x great granddaughter of Civil War Veteran Sandy Wills. The Emmy award winning journalist and children's book author visits schools nationwide teaching about her family's transition from Slavery to Freedom in Tennessee using primary sources in an exciting and captivating power point presentation. Cheryl made national news in 2024, when she hired an archaeology team to locate the remains of her heroic grandfather. He was found in an unmarked grave and the U.S. Army reburied Pvt. Sandy with full military honors in August of 2024. See report on CBS News! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGQybuYerV4&t=8s

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.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! The Edge of your seat fun Reading Encouragement show with an educational message for grades (Pre-K) K-6 “Get students excited about reading!” 45 minutes (show times can be adjusted to accommodate school schedules) Step into a world where action, adventure, mystery, biography, history, comics, and fantasy come alive through an original, one-of-a-kind performance by Amore. This fun-filled show combines amazing magic, illusions, comedy, music, and interactive audience participation, all woven together with an inspiring message about the power of libraries, books, and reading. Students will be captivated by Amore’s personal story—how a magic show at his local library sparked his lifelong passion for magic and reading. As a child, Amore discovered countless books about legendary magicians, fueling his dreams and teaching him the secrets of the craft. This unforgettable experience inspired him to create a magical show that celebrates the wonders of books and the joy of reading. Prepare to be amazed as you witness incredible feats like a gravity-defying levitation reminiscent of Peter Pan, passing through Alice’s Looking Glass, and becoming a wizard, a pirate, or even the Cat in the Hat! Teachers join the fun too, helping Amore perform a thrilling Houdini escape straight from the pages of history. For a spectacular finale, the audience will watch Amore transform into a beloved comic book hero right before their eyes. From start to finish, this electrifying show combines illusion, magic, and imagination to create a memorable experience that will leave your students inspired and enchanted. Take a new chapter from the book of magic and experience Amore’s ”Extra! Extra! Read All About It!” The perfect P.A.R.P. program! Warning! Excitement, laughter, amazement and reading will result from watching this show!

I am a performance storyteller and have told stories many times to children and adults of all ages. I tell the Odyssey, the Epic of Gilgamesh, numerous Norse and Irish myths and the Mahabharata epic of India as well as fairy tales and folk tales. I have taught storytelling to both adults and children, and have also taught poetry. I have been a ranger in Yosemite National Park, am a published poet, and have received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. I bring music to my storytelling and storytelling to my music. I love this work and welcome new opportunities.

I am a visual fiber artist based in the Catskill Mountains who spent the last three school years as a visiting artist for 8th graders at Van Antwerp and Iroquois Middle Schools in Niskayuna working with art teachers Katherine Chwazik, Alyssa LaPatra, and Dana Sela. I visited students for two days per quarter (different groups each quarter and averaging around 75 students per day). I collaborated with the schools prior to my arrival to collect recycled fabrics from quilting fabric to second hand clothing, which were the basis of a recycled fabric collage project. My visits began with a brief power point lecture about my practice working with fibers in needlepoint, chair weaving, and fabric collage to set the stage. Each year, the teachers I worked with wanted the project to have a different focus based on the gaps they thought it could fill in the curriculum. The fabric projects were: landscapes ('21-'22), merit medals ('22-'23), and yarn/fabric abstract works based on music ('23-'24). The projects allowed students to express their individuality through choosing subjects that meant something personal to them, whether that be a landscape of their hike in the Adirondacks, or creating abstract shapes based on their love for Taylor Swift. As a fiber artist, this project does not fit neatly into the Visual Arts categories listed, and therefore I think provided kids with an unusual opportunity to explore an unorthodox medium for a public classroom setting. This project is flexible in terms of subject and I can accommodate the lesson plan for a wide age range of kids, from 6th grade to 12th grade.

The Buffalo Zoo's Education team is here to provide your students with a WILD educational experience! Whether you're looking for a virtual program that will take you inside some of our animal exhibits, a presentation to enhance your Zoo field trip, or the Zoomobile to bring the Zoo to You, we can meet your group's learning needs. There are so many topics to choose from, including unique habitats, amazing adaptations, conservation, and so much more!