Inspiring author visits, storytelling "concerts" and writing workshops for all grade levels. Awesome Educational Fun! Mark Binder is the author of more than two-dozen books and audiobook, including "The Bed Time Story Book," "Cinderella Spinderella," "It Ate My Sister" and many more. He is an Audie Audiobook Award Nominee, and a Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner. A graduate of Columbia University, he holds an MA in Theater and English. As a storyteller, he has more than 25 years experience in schools around the world. He has taught writing to students in colleges, high schools, middle and elementary schools.

Local students are exposed to the presence and importance of local at-risk species and habitats and ways they can make a positive difference. Teachers can choose from a full menu of in-classroom and field trips that cover topics including adaptations, life cycles, habitats, photosynthesis, water quality, and more. Our favored field trip, “Habitats of the Saratoga Sand Plains,” highlights the Karner blue butterfly’s life cycle; its host plant, the wild blue lupine; the food chains and webs of the Saratoga Sand Plains Ecosystem; animal adaptations, freshwater life, pollution and habitat loss, and much more. These engaging programs meet criteria set forth in the state’s core curriculum for math and science. We now offer high school programming! Can’t find a program to fit to your needs? Contact us to schedule a unique program, tailored for you

Kevin Kurtz is an award-winning nonfiction children's author (www.kevkurtz.com) of over 25 books for kids grades kindergarten to middle school about science, nature, and technology. Kevin can provide up to five 45-minute presentations during an all day school visit. He can do different presentations for each grade level. For assembly programs, Kevin can read and discuss one of his books or present highlights from more than one book. The highlights can be focused on specific science curriculum topics, on the process of writing nonfiction, or be a grade level-appropriate “greatest hits” selection from my books (You can see the list of highlight topics here: http://www.kevkurtz.com/school-visits.) The book reading and highlights presentations will also include sections on how Kevin became a children’s author, the process he uses to write nonfiction, and a Q&A session at the end. Kevin can also do writing workshops for smaller groups with a maximum of 30 students per program. Workshops are for grades 3 and up. Kevin will lead students through the process of researching, writing, and editing nonfiction and work as a group to produce informational texts. Writing workshops can be extended to a week-long residency where Kevin will lead groups of students through the steps of creating nonfiction texts in more detail.

Get Patriotic with Democratic Values. Uncle Sam’s Comedy Jam is a crazy shindig celebrating American Freedom! The Bill of Rights and Constitution will be there, and so will many of our core democratic values. But be warned, this 40-minute show isn’t just a party. It’s a bash! Teachers and students won’t be able to stop laughing as Uncle Sam, with help from the Statue of Liberty and 16 volunteers, teaches the fundamental beliefs that unite all Americans. Kindergarteners through sixth graders learn how America became a free nation during the funniest history lesson ever. Democratic values have never been this funny! Topics in this patriotic elementary assembly include: Constitutional Government | The Importance of Rules | Separation of Powers | Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness | Symbols of Freedom | Checks and Balances | The Bill of Rights | Individual Freedoms | Shay’s Rebellion | The 13 Colonies | Common Good | Federalism | Patriotism | Equality | Justice | Declaration of Independence | Amendments and Rules | Democratic Values | The Framers | Articles of Confederation | Three Branches of Government.

Page Turner Adventures’ Story-Powered shows are a unique blend of Immersive Theater, Circus, and non-stop Audience Participation that take a book from the PAGE TO STAGE! Every child in the audience becomes the hero of the story, making choices, solving problems, and impacting the outcome. It’s a visceral experience that turbo charges a passion for reading and writing that kids will never forget. PLUS…. Every teacher at the show gets a LITERACY WONDER BUNDLE link which includes an Ebook, Animated Video, Audiobook, Craft, Writing Guide, Reader’s Theater Script or PDF Puppet Kit all BASED ON THE SHOW the kids just saw! So the laughter and learning continue long after the curtain closes.

Historic Pursuits utilizes high interest, hands-on programming to create an intrinsic love for history. The emphasis is on character development through historic examples. We train high school, college and community docents to lead these programs as a means to further leadership and community connections. WHY HISTORIC PURSUITS? Interactive and Experiential. We learn best by doing, and remember best through experiences. We put history into people’s hands, to get people trying “new things from the past.” We don’t have audiences; we have participants. Engaging. Yes, you will learn a great deal of “gee whiz” history, but more importantly, you will leave with a desire to learn more. Our goal is to promote an intrinsic curiosity for history. Depending on the program, you can expect to spark flint and steel, practice pioneer survival skills, crunch on some hard tack, spit some beeswax, use decoders from Washington’s spy ring, craft a love note with ink and quill, experience life on the Erie Canal…there are no, “Please do not touch” signs at our programs. Educational. Our staff are retired school teachers. They know about state standards, SEL, SLOs, Learning Targets, etc. They know that social studies plays second fiddle to Math and ELA because school report cards don’t emphasize history. They know that teachers often are forced to “squeeze in” history when they can and that very little professional learning opportunities are available. We teach teachers because we are teachers. We get it. Accessible. Some history venues just don’t fit everyone’s budget and calendar. We will come to you with a truckload of goodies. Or you can come to us for experiences you can’t find anywhere else for anywhere near the affordability. We will work with you to ensure all your objectives are met or if you prefer, we will do the work for you. We will design programs specific to your community and your local history. We strive to bring history to the community because it’s their history. Passionate. We love what we do, and this means that our passion drives our profession. We are insanely curious, always learning new skills, seeking out new history toys and forging new relationships. This passion drives our profession.

WildWood Western New York provides outreach programs focused on nature exploration. We offer both in-person and virtual programs for learners of all ages and abilities covering a wide range of topics including astronomy, biology, botany, ecology, geology, mycology, ornithology and more. We keep an up-to-date list of our current programs on our website, but we can also work with you to create a custom program that meets the needs of your students. In-person outreach programs feature both a presentation and activity component, and can be done indoors (in a classroom, library, etc.) or outdoors, if your school has the available greenspace. WildWood WNY's mission is to provide quality, accessible education through nature exploration to learners of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, and we would love to work with you to bring your students closer to nature!

Nick Tokman, “Sunshine” on Discovery Channel’s ‘Deadliest Catch,’ speaks nationally building students' self-worth so they think for themselves and make the best decisions for their future. He partners with schools to address common issues students face including peer pressure, high expectations from family and negative influences. Through storytelling and visuals, he shares with students his path prior to becoming known as ‘Sunshine’ on the hit tv show and how he dealt with struggles that many teens and tweens go through along with the mindset he developed to overcome his obstacles, mistakes and failures. After Nick’s presentation, students will leave believing in themselves to say no to peer pressure and other outside influences that get in the way of who they are and what they want to do with their lives. Having presented across the country to crowds as large as 17,000 people, students will leave remembering these lessons in an entertaining and memorable way. Nick is available both live and virtually. See Nick’s website to tour his virtual studio!

AutismFriendlyShows.com and Turtle Dance Music helps kids come out of their shells! We offer the most amazing autism-friendly and elementary school assemblies in the country. Founded by Mr. Matt "The Turtle Man" Mazur, MA, Matt got his graduate degree in Developmental Models of Autism Intervention and Early Childhood Development at Montclair State University. He also studied musical theater for undergrad at New York Universities' Tisch School of the Arts where he started creating his music performances for students with developmental disabilities at District 75 Autism Schools and Centers in New York City. Matt is known for sharing *multiple* (in a day - sometimes 4-8) 45 minute to hour long inclusive music concerts where he plays over 60 different instruments including didgeridoo, banjo, guitar, beatboxing, loop stations and many more! Teachers and students usually leave assemblies and classroom performances asking "Can he be here every day?!?" Matt's signature performance is the Bubble, Comedy and Music Show: Reading Rocks which features an original story about what it's like living with autism written and illustrated by Mr. Matt and Tim Shaw who is on the autism spectrum. Students are moving the ENTIRE performance and it is highly planned down to the minute with variable activities for students who are more verbal as well as less verbal. The show is also tailored for students who have profound and multiple learning disabilities who might not be as mobile as their peers. Matt has been sharing my work for the last 12 years both in-person in classrooms, gyms, cafeterias and auditoriums as well as virtually on our Innovative Big Screen Smartboard Shows over Zoom. Matt also offers shows tailored with songs for every season, holiday and I have A Counting Show, A Space: Revolution and Rotation Show, An Ecosystems Rock Show, Earth Day Rocks! and a Water Cycle Show. For more information e-mail info@turtledancemusic.com or call 973-493-2326 or visit our website https://www.TurtleDanceMusic.com or our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube,com/TurtleDanceMusic

Step back in time to one of the most pivotal moments in our nation's history through a powerful experience of sight, sound and interaction-one that's sure to engage, enlighten and entertain all ages. Learn of how and why Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as the nation's 26th President in Buffalo, NY in 1901, and how TR's presidency affected the course of the nation.

The following two school programs have been designed to follow the current NYS learning standards for performing arts. Each themed assembly also follows their respective NYS learning standard(s). "Anything is Possible!" : a magical character development assembly Focus: good mental health practices, positive self image, emotional regulation Everyone has their own unique talent! It takes a special journey to each person to find what's special about them. Jeff will share his magic and the journey that he took to find his passion. Children will learn techniques that they can use to start their journey and find their own passion. We also take a look at the feelings that come with self discovery and healthy ways to manage them. "The BIG balloon STEAM show!" : a circus variety style STEAM assembly Focus: Critical Thinking, Scientific Method & Vocabulary, Deductive Reasoning Come and explore the science behind balloons! This show combines circus style stunts with educational content that follows the NYS science learning standards. We'll explore how balloons are made along with their scientific properties. We'll also test the scientific method in a LIVE balloon experiment! For the grand finale, students will learn about elastic potential energy as Jeff climbs inside of a giant 10 foot balloon!

We offer a wide variety of entertainment and educational programs ranging from assembly shows, interactive intensives, and full week residency.