Meet Dott! Like the Polkadot! And her talking dog Dusty, like the dust! Their mission is to foster the voice and imagination of the next generation. Dusty & Dott are committed to creating an environment that is welcoming and supportive of all identities. Through storytelling and the magic of puppetry, Dusty & Dott celebrate curiosity and encourage the values of creative play.

Engaging and fun school assemblies that can focus on Kindness, PBIS, Growth Mindset, Leadership, Anti-Bullying and Reading. Three "Basketball" Jones presenters with over 15,000 assemblies performed all over the country. This is a highly recommended assembly that is extremely engaging for both the students and staff.

Hello, As an author, illustrator, designer, and publisher, I have a lot of jobs. But beyond all of those, the best part of my career is getting the opportunity to share what I know and inspire students of all ages to create books of their own. From kindergarteners to high schoolers, I love visiting schools to help get children excited about reading, writing and drawing. Plus, I also bring a giant wooden crate with a monster in it. :)

The BPO is proud to present educational programming that is developed with the assistance of music teachers and curriculum writers. The BPO Music for Youth Concert series offers educational concerts during the school day to introduce students to the best orchestral repertoire, with a focus on music learning concepts being taught in the classroom, and active participation through interactive program elements for students in Grades 1-8. Full-length (2 hour) BPO concerts on Friday mornings give students in Grades 7-12 a chance to hear complete pieces of repertoire in a casual atmosphere. To view all Music for Youth concert opportunities, please visit education.bpo.org. BPO Teaching Artists bring unique arts engagement into your classroom through the dynamism of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's professional musicians. Presentations feature interactive music learning opportunities and authentic connections between music and other areas of learning, with an emphasis on artistic excellence and can meet varied classroom learning objectives. Your BPO understands the importance of arts engagement in developing creative thinkers and innovators who value learning over a lifetime. The BPO offers Classroom Programs that explore arts learning through movement activities, active listening and authentic connections between music and other areas of study. These musician-developed programs bring a unique perspective and a wealth of beautiful music to concepts you are teaching in your classroom. Programs can be adapted for your needs and specific age groups, Are you looking for a guest artist to work in-depth with your instrumental music students on repertoire, music fundamentals, instrument-specific techniques, performance techniques or even to speak on career readiness? Our musicians can work with your band, orchestra or instrumental section on individual and ensemble music proficiency. Choose an artist from your preferred instrument family and bring an expert into your music room to inspire the best from your students through the BPO's Workshop, Clinic, and Residency offerings. Explore all Teaching Artist programs at bpo.org/teaching-artists.

The author/illustrator of over 30 children’s books, Eric Velasquez is also the recipient of the NAACP Image Award for outstanding literature of children. His pre-K - 12 programs are admired by students and teachers alike-- Eric is as good a storyteller in person as he is on the page. During his 45-60 minute presentations, Eric generally relates his personal dual-heritage experience growing up in Spanish Harlem, accompanied by the autobiographical illustrations and music featured in his books. He also explains his writing and artistic process from brainstorming through revision, culminating in a live portrait session (projected on screen so every student can see), which is accompanied by a Q&A.

This program is an energetic and challenging fun exercise class that is especially designed for Grades Pre K-12 and special needs students. Our programs are infused with mental health exercises to help boost confidence and working together to reach a higher goal. They will learn about the functionality of muscles through our exercise routines and physical activities. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood.

The Science Chef offers STEM education with or without a cooking/food based option! Providing hands on workshops, both in person or virtual with materials delivered, provides an engaging activity for your students. Our workshops are also standard appropriate, and we can provide the list of standards each workshop can help meet. Each workshop comes with a take home project, associated with the theme of the chosen workshop. The non-food workshops are $199 per one hour workshop, up to 20 participants. Our food based workshops are 75-90 minutes depending upon the theme, and the class is mostly the science based workshop, with a food based activity based on the workshop's theme. For example, our Volcanos and The Rock Cycle workshop is all science, and the students prepare lava cakes at the end to take home and microwave. The cost is $229 for up to 10 participants, and includes both the science take home, and the food take home per student. Our assemblies are not hands-on, but provide the WOW to bring some educational fun to your students! Intended for groups of students up to 100, we have several different options to choose from, and are always happy to provide a recommendation based on your student's ages and the space you provide us. Please note: scheduling with me is something that should be done in advance. I am a full time anatomy & physiology professor, and The Science Chef programming fits around my classes and breaks. Contacting me via e-mail or text is the best option, as I will not answer a phone call during any classes, whether the college or The Science Chef! :)

I offer author visits, involving book readings, a description of how I got started writing children’s books, and workshops promoting inclusion, empathy, and kindness.

The Wild Center, located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate NY, spans 115 acres and offers visitors a variety of experiences. Named the 2024 #1 science museum in the country by USA Today readers, The Wild Center’s mission is to ignite an enduring passion for nature that inspires action to ensure a thriving natural world. Highlights include a vast trail system, treetop adventures on Wild Walk, Raquette River Roll interactive ball runs, Forest Music, Birdly Virtual Reality, art installations and 54,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space with interactives in Planet Adirondack and Climate Solutions, all year long. The Wild Center offers on-site and virtual field trips for students, camps, scout groups, and youth groups. The Wild Center blends natural history, science, technology, and art into a unique experience that builds upon classroom learning and lifelong memories. Experiences can be a Virtual Field Trip, an onsite Wild Classroom Workshop lead by Wild Center staff, and/or an onsite Self-Guided Experience. The Wild Center’s programs are experiential, student-driven, and designed to support New York State Educational Standards while engaging students in hands-on, interactive learning experiences. Please contact the School Programs Coordinator at schoolprograms@wildcenter.org, call us at (518) 359-7800 x 123, or visit our website at www.wildcenter.org/schoolprograms for more information and/or to schedule a field trip.

Rumbón Dance Studio, LLC is a dance studio that teaches Colombian-style salsa dance for beginner- and intermediate-level dancers. We also offer cardio classes and performance choreography in various dance styles. Partner and solo salsa dance develop personal skills such as patience, respect, self-awareness and emotional expression, physical skills such as balance and stamina, and musical skills such as rhythm and phrasing. Workshops and classes are perfect for work with students in school musicals, ice-breaker, team-building or social-emotional learning activities, after-school programming, as well as staff development and events.

Growing Minds - A Living Classroom Experience with Cornell Cooperative Extension *This program is open to K-12. This program aims to bridge the gap between classroom-based science lessons and real-life experiences on a working farm and acres of conserved natural habitat. Our living classroom has proven instrumental in enhancing environmental and agricultural education for youth, providing a unique and irreplaceable hands-on learning experience. Through this partnership, Cornell Cooperative will facilitate a series of public school field trips to Pitney Meadows, offering students hands-on activities and farm tours. Students can expect to witness and interact with agricultural practices as the seasons change. Cornell Cooperative Extension is available to develop pre-field trip materials to prepare students for their visit, providing context and building excitement. Their team will also create post-field trip enrichment materials for in-classroom reflection, connecting on-farm experiences to academic lessons. Pitney Meadows Field Trip Fees $500 for a 3-hour Field Trip (up to 30 students) and $12.00 for each additional student. For booking information for a Growing Minds Field Trip, please email us at contact@pitneymeadows.org

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.