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!

CEPA (Center for Exploratory and Perceptual Art) promotes photographic and related media artists of all levels, supporting the arts community through exhibitions, education, and critical public access to image-making resources. CEPA provides individuals, schools, and nonprofits with workshops, classes, and community spaces that are accessible to all ages, abilities, and incomes.

Lucky's Adventure Series are heartwarming stories about my rescue pup, Lucky, and is inspired by the true story of when Lucky was lost for 4 days. Lucky attends the presentations with me. Students will learn life lessons through Lucky's eyes- making new friends, accepting others, and the importance of community, kindness, gratitude, and teamwork. The kids love to meet the star and inspiration of the books and I feel it really helps to further strengthen the messages. (Lucky sits in her stroller during the presentation). I have created presentations that are both engaging and educational that work well for large assemblies or smaller classroom/library settings. In addition to info specifically related to each of my books, I discuss the inspiration for the books, the writing process, and how a picture book is made. We also discuss the themes of kindness and gratitude. Also a reading of the selected book and Q&A.

The “Silly Nomads” book series is a five-volume collection of children’s literature that target children ages 7- 12. I drew heavily on my own vibrant childhood experiences while growing up on the island of Jamaica. These stories, immersed young readers in a world of imaginative adventures and cultural discovery. Each book within the series encourages creativity and exploration, fostering a love of reading while subtly reinforcing essential life lessons and positive character traits. Beyond the books themselves, I actively engage with students through interactive school readings, aiming to ignite a lifelong passion for literature. The “Silly Nomads” offers a unique opportunity to introduce students to a different culture, enriching their understanding of the world and fostering empathy and appreciation for diverse perspectives. I look forward to sharing my childhood adventures with you and your students.

Mylisa Larsen is the author of the novels Playing Through the Turnaround and Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better and the picture books All of Those Babies, If I Were A Kangaroo, How To Put Your Parents To Bed and Ho Ho Homework. Her author visits are designed to look at some of the underlying assumptions that cause students to decide that they’re not writers and to give students practical and fun ways of building their skills as writers which they can use immediately. We explore techniques for finding stories and getting started, experiment with how different choices we make shape our work, and talk about techniques for revision and for when writing gets hard. We talk about what the job of an author looks like but also how the skills of creative problem-solving which make up the job of a writer apply to many other fields and endeavors. All programs are tailored to the age of the students. Several different programs available are listed at mylisalarsen.com/visits.

Youth motivational speaker David Flood has been speaking with and helping teens and young adults for over 20 years. He teaches teens through the telling of his own very personal stories about his family in the past and present. At David’s student assembly programs he uses simple examples that students can relate to in order to show them how to improve their lives and how to have a profound impact on those around them. David will reinforce any social and emotional learning (SEL) that your school is already providing. He believes in proactive emotional literacy to encourage dignity and respect throughout the building. It is for this reason that he has spoken in over 600 middle schools and high schools as well as leadership conferences, parent workshops, and professional development days for teachers. He’s been a featured speaker at middle school assemblies, high school assemblies, colleges, and teacher/counselor conferences throughout the United States and Canada and established himself as a national youth motivational speaker that students connect with on an emotional level. David is one of the best youth motivational speakers in the country today.

At Howe Caverns, our experienced guides will teach your students about: Your students’ amazing learning experience begins when they descend 156 feet below the Earth’s surface on a 90-Minute guided cave tour and step out of the elevator into a six million year old cavern, carved by a subterranean river that continues to sculpt the cave today. During the field trip, they will see countless layers of sedimentary limestone, the floor of an ancient sea, and navigate the 500 foot serpentine passage known as the Winding Way, one of the world’s best examples of underground water erosion. Simply put . . . a field trip to Howe Caverns exposes students to aspects of the natural world they simply can’t experience anywhere else. So whether you’re teaching a classroom of students or homeschooling your own, Howe Caverns is the fun field trip you don’t want your students to miss! Sedimentation Calcification Erosion Geologic evolution Stalagmites and Stalactites Prehistoric seas Continental upheaval The power of time and water

Author, speaker, and youth mover, Brandon Lee White has motivated roughly half a million youth in 48 states over the past 15 years. He helps students take ownership of living a better life from the inside out. He teaches character education, leadership, mental health, anti-bullying, and more. Born unable to speak, Brandon shares his journey from outcast to school president, and in some speeches, he shares his story about his 6-year battle with depression and being an “unmotivated motivational speaker.” Brandon has been seen on TLC, Discovery Health, Fit TV, and TEDx. 1. Super Students (45 min speech)(Grades K-2, 3-5) Everyone loves superheroes, but students don’t know how to apply that to their lives. Super Students teaches students that you don’t need super powers to be a Super Student, just super choices. Brandon teaches how to be courageous and have character regarding bullying, leadership, mental health and making positive/healthy choices. Lots of interaction, humor, and impact! Your entire school and even the teachers will love this presentation! 2. Own It! (45 min speech)(Grades 3-12) Ownership starts with having a clear vision of who you are, what you want, and how hard you’re willing to work. Brandon shares his struggles including mental health and bullying, and then points to the leaders and decisions that turned it all around. Expect lots of funny crowd interaction, thought-provoking examples, moving stories, and a powerful spoken word presentation. Students leave with a new sense of ownership in life and leadership and the motivation to make it happen. 3. Know Your Line (45 min speech)(Grades 4-12) Substance abuse can destroy potential. Goals, dreams, and lives can be ruined through addiction, accidents, and destructive choices. Brandon presents this topic with a balance of fun and seriousness while helping them know their line in which they won’t cross 4. Let It Move (45-60 min interactive workshop)(Grades 4-12) Participants learn leadership through ballroom dance. Positive communication, risk-taking, teamwork, goal-setting, and discipline are all covered in a way that will stick in your memory. It’s a fun and educational way to “break the ice” and get youth moving. This workshop can include total crowd participation or select volunteers depending upon request and space availability. (Maximum occupancy contingent upon space and sound equipment)

I teach Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. Students learn the basics of Photoshop using layers and layer masks and the new Generative toolbar. They will also learn how to composite two or more images into one and how to enhance photographs. I am a professional wedding and portrait photographer with 30 years of experience in photography and over 25 years in Adobe software. My three day photography program is geared towards high-school students and will focus on photo-based image making for story telling, communication, creative expression, personal exploration and digital output. The three-day Adobe Photoshop program teaches how to use Photoshop to enhance images, composite images using layer masks and much more. Students will learn the Photoshop interface which includes: Document window, Menu bar, basic tool bar, the new Generative AI toolbar, Options bar and Panels. In this program, I walk students through building a composite image using different images and text. Then they will learn how they can enhance their own images using adjustment layers and other techniques.

Airigami is, at its heart, a team of artists who create large-scale installations, illustrations, and experiences entirely out of balloons—from small single sculptures and STEAM programs to stadium-sized, record-breaking installations. The common element in all our work: Attention-grabbing wonder. Our clients come to us for all kinds of projects. Airigami has built a range of inspiring programs around balloons that’s educational and unforgettable. We’ve worked with organizations of many types all around the world. Our displays can interpret important cultural touchstones like famous masterpieces and historic environments that inspire. Balloon sculptures can invigorate curiosity about familiar subjects. Balloons can even serve as the center of powerful team-building exercises. * How to Catch a Mouse: Simple Machines at Work While working on his master’s degree in elementary education, Airigami partner Larry Moss created How to Catch a Mouse as a presentation for grade-schoolers. The response to the first performance was so strong, he developed it for larger audiences. The show combines math, science, art and fun. Balloons are used to construct a Rube Goldberg-style mousetrap intended to solve the problem of a mouse on the loose. Student volunteers are invited to participate in building the working machine. It’s a dynamic way to teach kids how machines work and inspire them to eagerly set the trap in motion for themselves. The show is ideal for elementary school assembly programs and children’s museums. * Bubble Mural™ Designed by the experts at Airigami, this hands-on exhibit engages visitors in a collaborative project that offers maximum impact with minimal mess. Participants work together to construct a 2-D installation made entirely of biodegradable latex balloons. * Team Building Airigami’s Team Building program is designed to foster cooperation among participants—rather than competition. And the best part is, everyone who joins in starts at the same level: square one.

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.

We offer classes, demonstrations, workshops, and artist residencies for all schools and learning environments for all ages in the art of Capoeira, an African-Brazilian martial art and dance, and related Brazilian dances. We also can work with other teaching artists of other disciplines on an as-needed basis.