A former college professor with an MFA in Creative Writing, Ken Waldman combines Appalachian-style string-band music, original poetry, and smart storyteller for an experience unique to him. He's been a visiting writer at over 100 colleges, and has been a visiting artist at over 250 schools in 35 states, and works with kindergartners, at-risk and advance placement high-schoolers, and with all ages in between.

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!

Ramon Gil is the award-winning artist and writer of THE WHIZ KIDS FROM DARPA. A children's graphic novel about teen scientists who go on funny STEM based adventures. Ramon also teaches comics making to children and adults and can lecture about the difference between Comic Books and Graphic Novels which was his MFA thesis. Ramon also organizes workshops, panel discussions and comic cons having done so for The Fashion Institute of Technology and the Gillen Brewer School.

Each year, our school programs serve thousands of students from Saratoga and its surrounding counties, offering activities like "Sheep to Shawl," "Native New York," and "A Brookside Harvest" for various grades and subjects. We provide in-classroom programming, field trip options to our Brookside Museum, and can customize presentations to meet the needs of your students. The Saratoga County History Center offers diverse educational programs for children and adults, expanding our distance learning options to support local schools, teachers, students, and families. We are happy to work with elementary, middle, high school, and college-level students, delivering content in Social Studies, history, and some STEM areas. We can also adapt to virtual lessons upon request. Please contact us at education@brooksidemusem.org for more information.

Alan Katz is the author of more than 50 picture books, poetry collections, and middle grade novels for young readers (including Take Me Out of the Bathtub, Got Your Nose, OOPS!, The Funniest Joke Book Ever for Kids, and Misty the Cloud, a NYT bestseller written with Dylan Dreyer of the Today show). Alan's program is an inspiring look at his career as a reader and writer. In a virtual multimedia presentation that includes his work as an award-winning author, TV writer, animation creator, comic book/trading card writer, theater producer, kids' radio host and more, he laughingly fosters a “hey, I can read that/I can write that” attitude. Silly Dilly singing, ridiculous rhyming and a recap of his wildly creative career make for an insightful and enjoyable presentation. (Incidentally, he's also got three-person musicals based on my Silly Dilly songbooks and on my joke book, and can bring them to your school or library...starring my son, who's now playing Peter in the Pinkalicious musical Off-Broadway!)

Act With Respect Always is a “pay it forward” movement stressing the importance of one’s personal character. Through presentations and continued communication through mailings and social media, Act With Respect Always hopes others will join this mission or way of life and look to improve the world around them daily. Stressing kindness, love, compassion, empathy, acceptance and gratitude, Rich strives to make everyone aware of their daily actions. He introduces to each audience the 99% (Whats Your 99} and the 1% (Accept The 1), a personal character assessment plan. With this knowledge each person can access their own character “score” every minute of every day. The 99 has now brought the concept of mindfulness to everyone, to help to constantly draw ‘reflection’ towards their actions. Introducing The Visible Project to every audience has encouraged everyone to send notes of gratitude to someone: a friend, relative, a teacher or anyone that has shown kindness to them. The hope is that everyone will create their Solid Five (Who Are Your Solid5) connections that can be cultivated. They are the people who you can go to anytime, anyplace for physical and emotional support without judgement.

Enormously inspiring assemblies based on author David Greenberg's books in two areas, 1/ Poetry Picture Books, and 2/ Human Rights (based on his novel from Dutton, A Tugging String).

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!

STEM education has never been more important, and Liberty Science Center understands educators' needs to teach science and technology in alignment with the newest national standards. The Science Center is a premier field trip destination and provider of STEM experiences for students, educators, and families. Our STEM education programs can enhance your science instruction with engaging activities online, at LSC, or at your school (within a 60-mile radius). We also offer highly interactive professional development programs for individual educators or groups. Start planning your fun and engaging day of science learning with Liberty Science Center. For more information about our offerings call 201.253.1214 or email mmcdonald@lsc.org.

Clearwater offers a variety of Hudson River-based environmental education programs. Our signature program is the "Sailing Classroom" aboard the Sloop Clearwater which has become a model for onboard education programs across the country. Clearwater also offers a variety of onshore programming along the Hudson River in our "Tideline" program as well as in-class programming during which we bring a bit of the Hudson River to you. Clearwater's interactive education programs provide hands-on learning to engage students and promote "learning by doing." These programs can be catered to various ages and specialized to meet the needs of the students and teachers.

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.

MUSH with Noggin, the Sled Dog! Have you ever wondered… What does it feel like to ride the runners behind a team of dogs, steering a loaded sled through mountainous terrain, crossing the vast Alaskan tundra, hugging the shoreline of the great Bering Sea? What does it take to care for a team of Alaskan huskies? Could my dog be a sled dog, too? Musher, Karen Land, will answer these questions and more when she and Noggin, the Alaskan husky, visit (your school/library name, date, time). Dog mushing, a traditional mode of arctic transportation, is a unique subject perfect for every classroom. From STEM (climate change and environmental studies) to literature (Gary Paulsen and Jack London) to the arts and physical education, the options for exploration are endless. Land is an Outdoors columnist, songwriter, public speaker, and three-time participant in the 1000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race as well as many other sprint and endurance races in Alaska, Canada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Maine. Since 2000, Land has traveled to nearly every state with her dog sled, mushing gear, Arctic clothing, and beloved dogs, giving over a thousand school and public library presentations. “Tethered to my string of dogs, trusty leaders find the trail, together we are free…” —from “Into the Northern Lights,” lyrics by Karen Land