Mentor with an Experienced Educator/Storyteller
Communicate with an experienced educator/storyteller for a limited time (no more than 4 hours a month for 2 months). Please choose one and contact them directly. A mentee can work with more than one mentor at a time. At the completion of the first agreed time frame it will be up to the mentor and mentee as to whether they continue the mentorship.
Karen Chace
East Freetown, MA
• www.storybug.net • (508) 763-8565
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Storytelling Clubs, Teaching Artist, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries
Resume of Karen Chace
I am a professional storyteller, teaching artist and author. I created a school storytelling program, The Story Explorers, at my local elementary school in 2002. I taught 3 and 4 grade students the art of storytelling there for 10 years. I now teach storytelling in grades 4-7 for the Community Recreation after school program. I have also taught storytelling in a variety of schools, both private and public. To date I have taught over 500 students the art of Oral Tradition, including producing approximately 31 student Storytelling Festivals.
In the spring of 2016 I created a new, six week program, Once Upon a Generation, along with storyteller Andrea Lovett. We connected local senior citizens with students. Seniors were interviewed and the students wrote and developed one story the seniors shared. We worked with the students on their storytelling skills, and at the end of the program they performed the stories during an evening event, complete with pictures and music of the respective era to complement the stories.
I am the author of Story by Story: Creating a School Storytelling Troupe, published by Parkhurst Brothers. The publication received the Anne Izard Storytelling Award and the Storytelling World Honors Award.
Kevin Cordi
Ohio University Lancaster
Columbus, Ohio
• http://www.kevincordi.com • (559) 213-0161
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Storytelling Clubs, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Special Populations, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries, Community Centers and Storytelling
Resume of Kevin Cordi
I have taught for over 14 years at the high school level, including full time storytelling classes. I have served as the Executive Director for the National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame, now Showcase. I am the founder of YES. I have written and advocated for storytelling and education for years. I am the author of Playing with Stories: Story crafting for teachers, storytellers, and other imaginative thinkers and Co-Author with Judy Sima of Raising Voices: creating youth storytelling groups and troupes. I also recently released You Don’t Know Jack: A Storyteller Goes to School about mentoring others in the art. I have coached youth and adults and believe in the work of collaborative play and telling. Let me know how I can help.
Lynette (Lyn) Ford
Columbus, Ohio
• www.storytellerlynford.com • (614) 581-3326
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Special Populations, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries, Community Centers and Storytelling
I am a teaching artist with the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and the Kennedy Center’s Ohio State-based Collaborative Initiative, with 25 years of experience as a storyteller/student-or-teacher workshops facilitator in educational settings; prior to this career, I taught preschool for 15 years. I am also a mentor for young authors with the Thurber Writing Camps for students grades 2 – 12; I have provided special programs for Thurber House’s community outreach for preschool – early grades students. Almost every year, I do a day of storytelling for the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities Early Childhood Education Center, and I have provided storytelling programs for other special needs centers as a teaching artist for the Greater Columbus Arts Council (that artists-in-education program is now under the umbrella of OAAE). I am an author of four books, and a contributing author or editor for several storytelling-in- education publications, including THE STORYTELLING CLASSROOM and LITERACY DEVELOPMENT IN THE STORYTELLING CLASSROOM. I have also provided education workshops and residencies for Weber State University in Utah, and a 2015 intensive on storytelling in education and 2016 Master Class on storytelling and socio-emotional development for the National Storytelling Network’s annual conference.
Joyce Geary
SOCO (Storytellers of Central Ohio)
Worthington, OH
• (614) 885-3164
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6. 6-12
Types of Programs: Assemblies, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Special Populations, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Community Centers and Storytelling
I have taught students from age 2 – 92 in the classroom, one on one and in small groups, in homeless shelters and churches, in seminaries and colleges. I have taught English as a Second Language, multiple grades in one classroom, in museums and historical settings using story and first person characters for living history and worked with “at risk” students using stories that are heard and stories that are told by the students. I have made lesson plans to use stories in different academic settings. I have taught storytelling classes to students at various levels. English as a second Language students have been helped to learn their own culture’s stories and to tell them to family, friends, and in an American classroom.With others, I have written how to use stories and story activities to fulfill the National K-6 Education Standards. Workshops presented include telling techniques, development of story characters, growth of language skills using games that enhance grammar and descriptive skills, and other practical “how to” activities. I’m willing to brainstorm with you and help you to grow in your storytelling and to help you to grow youth storytellers.
Priscilla Howe
Lawrence, KS
• http://priscillahowe.com • 785-331-6181
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Storytelling in Libraries, Storytelling in Second-Language Classrooms, Writing, Story Games, Puppetry, Audience Management.
I’ve been a storyteller since 1988, beginning as a children’s librarian before going full-time in 1993, primarily working with kids age 3-12, but with a fair amount of experience with older kids as well. I travel around the country and around the world (14 countries and counting) with a headful of stories and a bagful of puppets. I work in classrooms, gyms, auditoriums and backyards, connecting with audiences with a mix of stories, songs, puppets and serious buffoonery. I love teaching what I know. How can I help you?
Katie Knutson
Crystal, MN
• www.ripplingstories.com • (651) 246-7168
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Special Populations, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries, Community Centers and Storytelling
In Katie Knutson’s 21 years as a Storyteller and 15 years as Teaching Artist, she has delivered Arts-Integrated residencies, performances, and classes to well over 35,000 kids. She has been called an “enchanting and magical” performer, and an “articulate, fun and inviting” workshop leader. Katie spends her days integrating Storytelling and Drama with Math, Science, English Language Arts, Spanish, and Visual Art to bring required curriculum and standards to life in an active and engaging way, all while embedding Professional Development for classroom teachers. In addition to contributing to Science in the Storytelling Classroom by Jane Stenson & Sherry Norfolk, she leads Storytelling and Arts Integration workshops for adults around the US and Canada, writes and curates the New Voices column in Storytelling Magazine, mentors new Storytellers and Teaching Artists, and works as a Teaching Artist for a number of Minnesota theatres, including the Tony-Award-Winning Children’s Theatre Company. Katie is currently the Storyteller-in-Residence at Neill Elementary School. Katie travels around the US and Canada to present workshops on the Art of Storytelling, Physical Character Choices, Theater Games, Vocal Warm-ups/Character Voices, and Arts Integration. Find out more about Katie and her company, Rippling Stories, on her website.
Angela Lloyd
Victorville, CA
• http://www.angelalloyd.com • (760) 955-1321
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6
Types of Programs: Residencies, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom
Resume of Angela Lloyd
1978-1986 I toured solo children’s musical/ theatrical performances nationally while based as an actor-in-residence at children’s theatres in Miami, Boise, Tulsa and Omaha. In 1987 I began to study storytelling as an art form with Laura Simms, this led to eventually changing my descriptor from “actor” to “storyteller”. 2019 marks my 10th year as the storytelling teacher (one day a week) at an independent progressive elementary school in Van Nuys, Ca. The website is www.ccsteaches.org. I collaborated with dance, music, teachers, 6 lead teachers, and six assistants, 120 children and their families. The NSN YES colleagues have mentored me for the classroom setting: sharing story repertoire, games and activities, and strategies for engaging differentiated learning.A personal goal is to hold a wobbly space for young children 5-12 year olds- to attend their peers respectfully, to listen from the heart. My masters is an MFA in Acting from Florida State University. I live in Victorville, CA, with my husband, Larry and sweet doggie, Maddie Mitzvah.
Sherry Norfolk
University City, MO
• www.sherrynorfolk.com • (404) 401-2737
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Special Populations, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries
Sherry Norfolk is an award-winning storyteller, author and teaching artist, performing and leading residencies and professional development workshops nationally and internationally. As a performing artist, she is a dynamic storyteller, telling well-crafted and age-appropriate folktales from around the world. As a teaching artist, she uses storytelling as a strategy for teaching preK-12th grade curriculum. Co-author of The Storytelling Classroom series (four books that explore rigorous, standards-based storytelling strategies for learning across the curriculum) and an Adjunct Professor at Lesley University, she is a recognized leader in integrating learning through storytelling.
Judy Sima
West Bloomfield, MI
• www.JudySima.com • (248) 644-3951
Age groups: K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Storytelling Clubs, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries
Resume of Judy Sima
I facilitated a middle school storytelling club for 17 years and co-authored “Raising Voices, Creating Youth Storytelling Groups and Troupes,” a definitive handbook for working with young storytellers. I have been telling stories professionally since 1987 and have mentored and coached many adults and young people over the years. Most of my work is in schools and libraries.
Jane Stenson
Mineral Point, WI
• http://janestenson.com • 847-751-0523
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Storytelling Clubs, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries, Community Centers and Storytelling
Resume of Jane Stenson
My interest and experience in being with youth comes from a long educational career that began in the 60s as a practitioner/lead teacher/faculty for early childhood, primary, elementary, middle school, high school and college. As college faculty in a college of education I concentrated on literacy and history – for our purposes that means storytelling and writing, storytelling and speaking and listening, storytelling and the non-fiction narrative. Storytelling is fun and and teaches us how to be more fully human while developing skills necessary to live well in the world in just relationships. Storytelling allows us to understand the diversity of folk tales and the dilemmas of individuals. With Sherry Norfolk, Lyn Ford, and Diane Williams I published the award wining series (four volumes) of The Storytelling Classroom. Another volume is due on Community Storytelling. YES! I am happy to serve as a mentor for the YES! Alliance.
Anne Wallace
Fayetteville, GA
• (770) 460-9946
Age groups: K-6
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Storytelling Clubs, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Special Populations, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom, Teaching Children How to Tell Stories, Storytelling in Libraries, Community Centers and Storytelling
Resume of Anne Wallace
In addition to her storytelling skills Anne has experience as a classroom instructor, library media specialist and librarian for the U.S. Army.
Her innovative use of storytelling within the curriculum and her library program helped her win the prestigious National School Library Media Program of the Year given by the American Association of School Librarians.
She teaches storytelling classes for ages 4-16 in school, home school and after school groups that are within the curriculum that ranges from retelling stories to telling original stories.
As a teacher of storytelling to children she has conducted classes and camps for all children to include those who are medically fragile. These classes are in schools, libraries, storytelling festivals and local city, university and hospital summer programs.
She conducts storytelling classes for students to be “traveling” storytellers.
She is co-founder for PeachSeed Storytelling Festivals for Young Tellers.
Professional learning classes that she has taught include “How to use Storytelling in the Curriculum,” “How to Teach Storytelling to Children,” and “How to be an Effective Storyteller to Children.” She is a frequent program presenter at professional conferences telling about these same storytelling topics.
She co-authored, “Readers Theatre: Fun for All ESOL Learners.”
Donna Washington
2 Haggis Court, Durham, NC 27705
• http://donnawashington.com • (919) 471-3036
Age groups: Pre-K, K-6, 6-12
Types of Programs: Residencies, Assemblies, Assistance in Developing Lesson Plans, Teaching Artist, Using Storytelling in the Classroom
Resume of Donna Washington
I have been a full-time professional storyteller for over thirty years. It is the only job I’ve had since I became a grown-up person. I specialize in performance for all ages in educational settings, but I also offer workshops for storytellers, educators, families and students. I can help you design, market, and implement residencies, but I don’t teach them myself much anymore. I can also help with putting together effective marketing strategies, designing showcase pieces, and putting together effective after program materials.