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Brian Rush
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Traveling shop class is a unique program that makes wood working accessible and safe for students grades PreK-8. Students learn about a trade that is both a career and an art form. Students get to make wood sculptures with specialized tools in a safe environment; all materials and supplies provided. With guidance and one-on-one attention, students will design and create their own unique wood sculpture to make and keep. Traveling shop class easily aligns with any visual arts curriculum addressing goals for sculpture, critical thinking and problem solving, culture and careers. Traveling shop class addresses the NYS standards for the visual arts for creating and connecting. Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. They will organize and develop their ideas and work experimenting with forms, materials and artmaking approaches, balancing experimentation with safety and responsibility, while interacting in ways that enhance and empower their lives. Through artmaking students develop awareness, knowledge and experiences, and solve artistic problems. Part of the traveling shop class presentation is about environmental conservation which has cross curricular connections to science goals for habitats. 21st Century Skills such as critical thinking, creativity, social skills, communication, flexibility, problem solving, productivity, adaptability, curiosity and imagination, self-direction and perseverance are embedded as students plan and build, share, take turns, make corrections, and practice safety. Traveling shop class programming is easily adaptable for unique school-wide or individual class experiences including a modified format to be inclusive of all abilities.
STEAMwhiz - The STEM Learning Lab
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STEAMwhiz - The STEM Learning Lab: Creating Confident, Young Problem Solvers Welcome to STEAMwhiz - The STEM Learning Lab, where we inspire the next generation of innovators through hands-on learning experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Founded in the Capital District of New York, we bring the excitement of the lab directly to your classroom with our in-person labs and workshops. Our mission is to nurture curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills in students of all ages. What We Offer: Interactive Workshops: Our comprehensive programs include standards-aligned STEM workshops and hands-on classroom labs for local schools. Our workshops are designed to engage students in hands-on activities and experiments, making STEM concepts come to life. From fundamental concepts of magnetism and energies to more advanced robotic and engineering challenges, we provide immersive experiences that spark a love for learning. Other programs include: After-School Enrichment, Summer, and Break Camps at your location or ours! Hands-on STEM Core Labs: Grade Levels: 1st- 5th Length: 1 hour Size: 1 classroom unit per lab (max. 25 students) Prices: Starting at $250 per lab. Multi-Consecutive lab discounts are available at the time of booking. Highlighted Hands-on STEM Core Labs: Light It Up! Light is Weird. This hands-on lab investigates what light is and how we can control it through blocking, bouncing, and bending. Check out colorful shadows and rainbows in this FUNdamental light exploration lab. Suggested Grade Levels: 1st-3rd. Relevant NYS Standard(s): 1-PS4-2, 1-PS4-3, 4-PS4-2 MagLab: Magnetic Exploration Are all metals magnetic? Are all metals magnets? Using the Scientific Method to guide your learning, investigate the properties of magnets, and determine which materials are magnetic. Explore magnetic properties using magnets to attract and repel each other. Experiment with magnetic levitation and electromagnetism. Suggested Grade Levels: 3rd, 4th. Relevant NYS Standard(s): 3-PS2-3, 3-PS2-4 Energy Lab: Potential vs. Kinetic This energy lab investigates the relationship between Potential and Kinetic Energy, the Law of Conservation of Energy, and how energy is transferred between objects in a system by designing, testing, and modifying a "spool racer" powered by elastic energy. Students will design a "racer" that converts elastic potential energy into mechanical kinetic energy. Brainstorm, prototype, modify, test, and redesign variations to the basic "spool racer" design to meet different design criteria. "Show What You Know" in the ultimate problem-solving challenge, as your "spool racer" is put to the test and proves how a simple toy can be engineered to its best ability! I.D.E.A.S High-Tech MakerLabs – Inventing, Designing, & Engineering for All Students Grade Levels: 2nd- 8th Length: 1-1.5 hours Size: 1 classroom unit per lab (max. 25 students) Prices: Starting at $300 per lab. Multi-Consecutive lab discounts are available at the time of booking. Themes Include: Robotics, Drones, 3D Printing, Coding, Physical Computing Whether you choose our STEM Core Labs or High-Tech Maker Labs, all programs feature: Standards-Aligned Curriculum: the New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards and/or the Engineering Design, and Computer Science + Digital Fluency Standards. Expert Educators: Making complex concepts accessible and fun Convenient and Accessible: We bring all necessary materials and equipment to your location. For more information about our offerings, call 518-512-9595 or email: info@steamwhiz.com
Captain Bill's Seneca Lake Cruises
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Captain Bill's Seneca Lake Cruises has developed two field trip cruise opportunities highlighting local history, and geography, in an attempt to create a sense of place for students grades K through 7. This cruise is in the GST BOCES exploratory enrichment coser #426. K through 4th grade is a 50 minute cruise at a rate of $15 per student for 2025. Grades 5 through 7 is a more in depth look at geology, history and the ecology of our area This is a 90 minute cruise at a rate of $23 per student fir 2025.
Erie Canal Museum
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The Erie Canal Museum offers Field Trips Experiences Tailored for the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and High School curriculum, however we welcome students of any age and classrooms of any size. A field Trip experience includes an hour-long docent-led indoor tour, with the option of an additional hour-long outdoor walking tour. Lesson plans are available for pre-visit and post-visit enrichment. Lunch space is available upon request. Financial Assistance is available. If you would like to bring your students to the Erie Canal Museum, reach out today.
Mr. Twisty
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**Mr. Twisty Arts-in-Education Assembly Programs** For over three decades, Chad Currin has brought Mr. Twisty, his hilariously charming character, into schools, captivating young audiences with assemblies that blend laughter, magic, and meaningful lessons. As the son of a school librarian, storytelling runs deep in Mr. Twisty’s heart, and he has even penned seven children’s books. Currently, Mr. Twisty also stars in *Mr. Twisty's Storytime Adventures*, a popular YouTube show that’s a big hit with early readers! Every episode celebrates children’s stories by independent authors, packs in delightful (and groan-worthy!) dad jokes, and showcases balloon artistry. Mr. Twisty’s arts-in-education programs keep kids engaged and enrich the curriculum, making learning memorable and exciting. Each assembly offers valuable educational experiences with an infusion of creativity and joy, fostering a love of reading, a sense of empowerment, and an appreciation for our planet’s tiny helpers. --- **Assembly Programs and Classroom Visits:** ### 1. **Books & Beyond: The Magical Power of Stories** **For Grades K-5** Dive into the adventure of reading with Mr. Twisty as he shares his story of growing up in a library and the love of stories he learned from his librarian mom! This lively program encourages students to explore the magical world inside books, emphasizing the importance of reading in daily life and supporting themes aligned with the Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) program. With humor, magic, and interactive elements, Mr. Twisty makes reading cool and fun, motivating students to open a book and discover the worlds waiting inside. - **Themes Covered:** Storytelling, reading motivation, imagination, book discovery - **Takeaways:** Kids learn that books are gateways to endless adventures and knowledge, igniting excitement for independent reading. - **Optional Classroom Visits:** Mr. Twisty can visit individual classrooms to work with smaller groups, sharing tips on creating their own “story magic.” --- ### 2. **The MAGIC of YOU! - Building Self-Esteem through Magic** **For Grades 3 and Up** In *The MAGIC of YOU!* assembly, Mr. Twisty uses magic as a metaphor for personal empowerment, helping students believe in their ability to make amazing things happen. This program is designed to boost self-confidence and encourage students to take pride in their unique qualities. Mr. Twisty shares inspirational stories and showcases illusions that remind students that they, too, have “hidden powers” within. After the assembly, students who attend the optional classroom sessions will learn a simple magic trick to take home, letting them experience the thrill of mastering something new and surprising their friends and family. - **Themes Covered:** Self-esteem, self-discovery, resilience, confidence-building - **Takeaways:** Students leave feeling empowered to face challenges and create “magic” in their own lives. - **Optional Classroom Visits:** Mr. Twisty can teach students a beginner-friendly magic trick to keep the theme of empowerment going. --- ### 3. **Wiggle, Dig & Compost! - Magical Worms & the World of Soil Health** **For Grades K-5** *Wiggle, Dig & Compost!* is a hands-on program where Mr. Twisty introduces his pet worms and teaches students all about the incredible role worms play in recycling and composting. This isn’t a typical assembly; it’s a special classroom experience where each class gets an up-close encounter with Mr. Twisty’s wriggling worm friends and a reading of his story *Little Lily and Eddie the Earthworm!* Kids will learn about worms, composting, soil health, and sustainability in a way that’s unforgettable—and they get to meet and greet Mr. Twisty’s worms for a fun, tactile experience. This program is ideal for teaching young students about the environment, helping them develop respect for our planet and its tiniest eco-heroes. - **Themes Covered:** Environmental science, composting, recycling, worm care - **Takeaways:** Students learn that even the smallest creatures play a big role in keeping our earth healthy and clean. - **Classroom Visit Experience:** A close-up meet-and-greet with real, live worms—a unique and memorable way to connect with nature’s recyclers. --- **What Teachers & Librarians Love About Mr. Twisty’s Programs:** - **Curriculum-Connected Learning:** Each program ties into key educational themes, providing a fun way to reinforce classroom topics. - **Interactive Elements:** Assemblies are highly engaging, often with student volunteers, humor, and age-appropriate magic tricks to make learning fun. - **Encouragement for Young Readers:** Mr. Twisty’s passion for storytelling inspires students to read more and discover the magic in books. - **Empowerment Focus:** Programs like *The MAGIC of YOU!* are designed to build self-esteem and encourage personal growth. - **Environmental Education:** Mr. Twisty’s hands-on approach in *Wiggle, Dig & Compost!* offers a unique environmental science lesson. Each program is adaptable to meet the needs of your school and audience, and Mr. Twisty is happy to work with educators to create a memorable and impactful experience for students. Let Mr. Twisty’s magic bring laughter, learning, and lasting lessons to your school!
Kit's Interactive Theatre
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Kit's Interactive Theatre has 16 different high-energy shows that combine history, dance, music, improvisation and a great deal of humor where students and teachers become all the characters in the show. Students learn how their modern lives differ from those of their forebears as they explore how and why these critical events took shape. Programs are imaginative, educational and fun! They range from Ancient Egypt and Women's Rights to Mother Nature and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother.
CNY Jazz, Central New York Jazz Arts Foundation
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Created to serve school districts, college, libraries, and theaters across Upstate New York, CNY Jazz Management is dedicated to the educational mission of the CNY Jazz Arts Foundation, the region’s primary provider of jazz programming in concert, cabaret, scholastic and festival settings in schools and in public. Our core cultural history shows are available separately or in a group: All That Jazz, a whirlwind history of jazz; Blues Shout, a history of male blues and jazz singers of the 20th Century; Music & Musket, exploring the role of the musician in the Civil War; and Jazz On Demand, unlocking the secrets of songwriting and listening creatively! All programs are narrated and include a vocabulary/teacher’s guide. We also offer full-day or multi-day residencies by all of our large ensembles, with or without national guest soloist/teaching artists, co-designed with you to fit your program needs – clinics, jams, and grand concerts. you may preview all of our shows and watch an overview of our entire arts-in-education service at the video link on our web site. Contact us for more information about presenting any of our offerings in your school!
Wandering Theatre
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From performances to workshops to artist residencies, Wandering Theatre strives to spread the magic of storytelling and self expression with young audiences. PERFORMANCES: We offer performances as school assemblies, along with a 15 minute talkback following each show to answer questions from the audience, and give an inside glimpse into how our puppets work. Our puppet show is called "The Dragon and the Wanderer". It is 30 minutes long, appropriate for grades K-5, and has themes in line with SEL content (friendship, compassion, standing up to bullies). It utilizes shadow puppets, hand puppets, physical theatre, and a surprise transformation (the set turns into a giant dragon puppet!). Set to original music, “The Dragon and the Wanderer” does not use language, and has played very well for ESL students, deaf students, autistic students, and students with developmental disabilities. WORKSHOPS: We run puppeteering and puppet-building workshops (catered to grade level/student capabilities). Workshops can coordinate with Art and/or STEAM classes, and can be brought into those classrooms as a single-day workshop or a multi-day artist residency. In our shadow puppet building workshops, participants will build their own shadow puppets out of paper plates and learn how to manipulate them on a shadow screen. In our physical theatre & puppeteering workshops, participants will practice bringing everyday objects to life, creating cooperative puppets in groups, and using physicality and motion to tell stories.
Chain Reaction - The Frankel Sisters
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We are Lianne and Jaymee Frankel, New York State-certified teachers, sisters, and founders of Chain Reaction, an educational program centered around live music, social-emotional learning, and storytelling. Our Chain Reaction program has been performed at schools and other venues across Long Island and New York City, and teaches concepts such as creating a kindness chain reaction, the power of positive self-talk, the power of music on mental health, and mindfulness/social-emotional learning.
Doug Berky
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Doug Berky has been creating and evolving his own brand of physical theater for over thirty years. His performances weave together classic theatre forms of mime, mask theatre, circus arts, physical comedy and storytelling.  Doug is also known internationally for his mask construction. He designs and constructs the masks for his own performances as well as creates all of the sets, choreography, scripts and many of the costumes. Doug tours two family and school shows.  "No Show” and "Gems: The World's Wisdom Stories”.  - Curriculum Areas:  world cultures and traditions; folklore, literature, visual arts, physical fitness, communication - Weblink:  http://loydartists.com/roster/f/c/47 AND https://www.dougberkytheatre.com TEACHING PERFORMANCES "Gems: The World's Wisdom Stories" -  Pre K - 6th & Family - Video Link: https://youtu.be/iuvgqz6m72M - Study Guide - in addition to the study guide for "No Show" : http://loydartists.com/images/resources/DougBerkysGemsSG.pdf Doug Berky uses classic styles of storytelling from many cultures including masks, mime, puppetry and the power of a good story to introduce this collection of wisdom stories from around the world. All people seek to understand the world, to live in peace, to deal justly with one another.  These stories of hope, peace, freedom and justice will inspire while introducing students to literature from other cultures including Greece, India, Native America, and tales from Europe and South America. Doug has three versions of this production for the different age groups including a preschool version to help introduce young students to masks and stories. "No Show" -  K-College and Family - Video Link:  https://youtu.be/qOtjtqvLUAA - Study Guide:  http://loydartists.com/images/resources/MainStudyGuide.pdf A performance has been scheduled, but the actor fails to show. Or does he?  What will happen when a lone spectator finds himself unwittingly on stage?  Doug is transformed into several characters ranging from a gorilla to a ballerina as he explores the props and masks on stage. Students experience a variety of theatre forms: mime, mask theater, circus arts, and storytelling. The performance pieces vary in length, characters, and subject depending on the age of the audience. RESIDENCIES AND WORKSHOPS - Doug has specifically designed residencies of one day to three weeks for elementary to college students and for theater students and professionals including: Mask Making • Mask Theater Technique • Mime • Physical Theater and Comedy • Commedia Del Arte Workshops in communications, movement, cooperation, healing & humor are available for elementary students to adults. Community workshops are also available. ? STUDENT WORKSHOP: "Exploring Communication and Cooperation with Mask and Physical Theatre" - Doug conducts versions of this 45-60 minute interactive workshop for elementary to high school students. Students learn and practice skills in better cooperation and communication by exploring how we "talk to each other through body language." Students engage in movement and character development and experience mask theater and mime. Younger elementary students will participate in physical theater games that encourage cooperation, following directions, communication, and movement. Older elementary, middle and high school school students explore more subtle movements and communication through techniques from mask theater and mime.? STUDENT RESIDENCY: "Give It A Facelift: Unmasking Literature With Mask Theatre" - Five-day residency for elementary and middle school students. Imaginative literature (stories, folktales, myths), its context and content, can be creatively opened to students using the theatre disciplines of mask, mime, and storytelling. Each class will select an international folktale, myth, or story. After learning about the culture, context, story, and characters, the students will create their own presentation of their selection using these theatre arts. Theatre and mask artist Doug Berky will guide students in this creative process. TEACHER WORKSHOP: "Building Concentration and Creativity Through Mask Theater" - This movement workshop uses Creative Dramatics to teach skills in observation, creativity, improvisation, cooperation, and concentration. Doug uses mask theater techniques and a collection of masks within this workshop to teach both the art form and demonstrate how masks can be used to teach these skills. Teachers will receive instruction and simple templates they can use to make masks with students.
Daryl Cobb
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Daryl Cobb is the author of 18 books for children, and a premier children's educational presenter. Daryl's experience as a professional actor, musician and singer makes him one of the most imaginative and dynamic author presenters in the country. Daryl's versatility makes him the perfect choice for in school author visits at every age level. Very few authors can captivate children the way Daryl does. His music instantly grabs everyone's attention, and he keeps them on the edge of their seats with his storytelling. His interaction with the student body is playful and fun. And his life experiences (in baseball, with bullies and ADHD) make him relatable to all and his literacy message very powerful. His author visits programs are inspiring! Daryl's programs are interactive and include his "Music, Sign-along & Storytelling" assembly for K-2 and his interactive "A Writer's Journey" assembly that uses storytelling, music, graphics and live action readings to teach the kids about the writing process.
The Smith Opera House
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The ArtSmart Educational Theatre Series presents performances specifically designed for school groups and are open to the general public as well. Children’s picture books and classic literature, United States and world history, relevant social issues and experiences are all transformed by nationally-touring performing artists. Our ArtSmart series is designed to encourage thinking, creativity and fun while complementing school lessons. Each year, The Smith presents a series for students of all ages.