Marica Monori and Patrick Durkin (owners of Capital Ceramic Supply) offer a deep dive workshop into ceramics, firings, with an emphasis on wood-firings. The workshop consists of lecture time (a slideshow about the different types of clay and firings/kilns, all things wood-firing related), a question and answer section, and a 30 minute of hands-on work for students with wood-fire clay that we provide. Later on their creations will be fired in our wood kiln then returned to them as a unique piece of art and memory.

Playful Engineers Traveling Maker Space STEAM-Powered assemblies, hands-on workshops, whole-school events, and family nights featuring Rube Goldberg Machines, and other chain reactions, plus Artful Mechanisms - student-built toys made using principals of mechanical linkages and crankshafts. Kids learn real-world maker skills with our latchkey programs. We bring our traveling Maker Space including all materials, and we love working with all ages. Our play-based programs help kids learn while having loads of fun! In-person, and virtual programs are available from single programs to 2 week residencies!

Bash the Trash (BTT) is a performing/educational ensemble that shows students how to build musical instruments from reused and repurposed materials, while making connections to science, culture and the environment. For over 35 years BTT has been offering in-person performances, workshops and professional development in the NYC/Hudson Valley/Long Island region; and amazing hands-on virtual programs for communities in New York State beyond our travel range. We reach about 60,000 students a year with in-person programs like “Sustainable Sounds”, “Trashaganza”, and our climate change show “Too Much Heat”. We have 30+ virtual programs to choose from our page on the Center for Interactive Learning site here, including programs about Latin American percussion, Native American storytelling and poetry, musical instrument spotlights (like steelpan drums, xylophones and bucket drums), as well as other great programs for April - Earth Day Month! In-person Programming: Hudson Valley Long Island New York City We're flexible, contact us to discuss! Virtual Programming: All other regions

Hello.... even though I hold several world records for climbing and skiing in the Himalaya, and even took a hot air balloon over Everest (we crashed, but made an award winning film!) and was on the U.S. Biathlon Team, and lived with an indigenous tribe on each continent, I still took time to make books, fun books! My books have won Parent's Choice, Pick of the List, NCSS Notable Books for Social Studies, and so much more. Any regions you study: rainforest, desert, mountains, and so on, we visit in my multi-media presentation. We cover standards for MANY subjects, and all national standards for geography and social studies. I leave you with a video, teaching guides, and activities to work with. Imagine large images from adventures around the world, and cultures on each continent, while I give personal information via story telling as an all school assembly... or divide the school into groups for a more personal Q and A to follow. I tailor my words to my audience and work with all k-12 students.

Daniel Carlton is a multiple award-winning actor, storyteller, playwright, poet, lyricist, director, and teaching artist. His performances and workshops, for practically every age level, address a vast variety of topics including poetry, storytelling, history through drama, life skills through dramatic role plays, and so much more. He is also a published author. Recent performances include productions of “Finding North”(with David Gonzalez) and “The Meeting”, in addition to seventeen Off-Broadway productions, multiple solo shows, and performances with the Children of War Theater Project. Directing credits include “Jabari Dreams of Freedom” (New Victory Theater NYC, National tour), “Hero: Boy From Troy" (First Woman Productions.National Tour), “48 Hours in Harlem" (Harlem 9 Theater Co.), “Freedom Riders” (Mad River Theater Works), and “What If” (Negro Ensemble Company). An enthusiastic creator of new works, Daniel wrote and directed the national tour of “Keep Marching” (Mad River Theater Works), “March On” (Apollo Theater), “Pigfoot Mary Says Goodbye To The Harlem Renaissance” (Schomburg Center For Research and Black Culture), “Night Train 57” (Kennedy Center workshop), and “Freedom Flight” (national tour), as well as penning “A Whistle in Mississippi”, (with Micheal Green )“Check Yo Invite Parts 1 and 2”( Live Theater and Radio Play HarlemStage) and “Timeless Journeys (various tours)”. With Nambi E. Kelley, he also co-wrote “Hidden Inside”, “This Ability”, and “So Journey To The Truth”. Daniel’s work as a Storyteller has been presented in places as varied as Summerstage Kids and Family Series( Parks throughout the 5 boroughs), The Museum For The City Of NY, The Brooklyn Museum, The BrooklynChildren’s Museum, hundred of libraries, schools, temporary housing facilities, and even war zones. Solo Storytelling For Family audiences shows Include:The Eagle in Harlem and Other Tales.” Urban “Folktales Remixed” Memories of Self Journey To Weeksville, and many more. Daniel teaches acting to all ages, poetry for both the page and performance , life skills, public speaking, playwriting ,and devised theater for organizations that include : Apollo Theater Education , Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Community Works, Blackberry Productions, MadRiver Theater Works, YAFFA Performing Arts, JazzMobile, CityParks Foundation , First Woman Productions , NYU, University Of Iowa, and many more. Daniel can perform solo or, depending on budget, in duo or trio format. There are other videos on YouTube. Here's video of an interview explaining the Finding North project he performs with David Gonzalez. Daniel can perform this solo. https://youtu.be/uj7KZ4SF4nQ?si=qSk4SjB7cLr9hqFv Daniel has several other shows which we can send you information about upon request.

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.

The Animal Menagerie, written by Francine Dingeman and illustrated by Marta Maszkiewicz, is an enchanting A to Z picture book filled with captivating characters from the animal kingdom for children ages 4-8. This book is written to entertain and educate by introducing dozens of creative new words into a child's vocabulary. Children are invited to embark on a wild and whimsical journey through The Animal Menagerie! Each letter of the alphabet comes to life with vibrant illustrations and story vignettes, making early literacy development a delightful adventure. The visual imagery, engaging rhymes, and clever context comprehension of The Animal Menagerie will spark a child's curiosity and imagination as they learn new vocabulary words and animal names in a fun and unforgettable way. Twenty to thirty minute visits to grades pre-k and k include readings from select pages of the A to Z picture book and a short discussion surrounding each animal character. First to third grade presentations include a full reading of the book followed by a personal account of the writing/publishing journey with a focus on inspiring young writers and encouraging them along their individual writing paths. The opportunity to project the pages of the book as it is read, so children can view the illustrations along with the reading, allows for an optimally engaging presentation, sparking a child's interest and curiosity as each new animal character story is shared.

Effective self-assessment is crucial for learning in the performing arts, and a high-quality recording of a stage production provides an invaluable reference once the performance is complete. Merelis Productions specializes in filling this need. For over 25 years, our videographers have partnered with independent, charter, and public schools, as well as professional performing arts and regional theater organizations throughout the NYC tri-state area. We offer 2-camera videography and video editing for a variety of on-stage events, including musicals, plays, concerts, dances, graduations, and other presentations. For each performance, we provide two expert videographers with cameras on tripods and strategically placed microphones. When available, we can also integrate a direct feed from your house sound reinforcement system to ensure the best possible audio mix for the final video. We deliver a 1080p digital video file that participants can use for self-assessment, and as demo footage for future auditions, artistic portfolios, and college applications. With 25 years of experience recording events in school settings and over 275 productions annually, we are dedicated to providing recordings that reflect the effort invested in your productions. We would be delighted to collaborate with you to enhance your performers' self-assessment opportunities.

Strum Bowing is a method that Tracy Silverman has developed to teach string players how to groove. A Strum Bowing Workshop could be anything from a one-hour Zoom meeting with a school orchestra to a weeklong residency culminating with a concert. Workshops are based loosely on Silverman's book, The Strum Bowing Method. With school or youth orchestras, it’s often effective to have a zoom session a month or two before a live workshop or residency so the group can start working on some of the Groove Studies ahead of time. Tracy also encourages the instructor to take a lesson with him if they can, to familiarize themselves with the techniques. He works with players of all ages and abilities, from elementary school beginners to conservatory pre-professionals to adult learners. He also presents pedagogy sessions and lessons with string teachers. He has lots of improvisation games that are effective for younger players (and great for breaking through inhibitions for older players) and the simplicity of the Strum Bowing method is accessible across age ranges. For school orchestras, Tracy offers a collection of 22 Groove Studies for Strings which are an effective way to apply and reinforce the concepts of Strum Bowing and to practice techniques like Ghosting, Chopping, Subdividing, and developing the 3-D Strum. A favorite format is to work with the orchestra in rehearsals/workshops and then present a shared concert which usually consists of a solo program by Tracy using his live looping and electric 6-string violin, and then a collaboration with the orchestra on several pieces, which could be from the 22 Groove Studies for Strings or any piece that the orchestra is working on. Grooving — awakening our inner sense of rhythm using Strum Bowing, essential to rock, jazz, hip hop, etc. The Chop — non-pitched percussion sounds. Also the Compound Chop and the 3-D Strum Ghost Notes — muted notes within a groove Improvising — cultivating our natural curiosity and playfulness with fun improv games Call and Response — ear training, rhythm training, style training GPS for Strings (Groove Proficiency System) — Silverman's 4 step formula for finding your way to any groove Blues scale and the blues Other Workshop Topics ??Lecture/Demonstration – performance and explanations about technique, equipment, career etc; questions from the audience. General audience. ?Improvisation for Strings – an overview of the blues; call and response; simple scales and approaches for first-time improvisers. String players with instruments.

I offer Author Visits consisting of a 45 minute multimedia presentation of me as a young reader, the writing process and a read aloud. My book "Nervous Rex" and my new book "Mort the Worry Wart" both center around mental health strategies, so I weave that into my presentation as well. I also have smaller writing workshop opportunities. I am very flexible and work with schools on format, etc. I look forward to hopefully working with you!

Interactive Pre-K music programs for ages 2 - 5, and school aged programs for small groups K - 2. Hands-on musical activities with rhythm instruments and creative movement & dance. Book well in advance.

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.