~~~ Storytelling Workshops for Teachers ~~~

• CARRYING ON THE ORAL TRADITION: Fashioning Character with Folklore, Legends, Cultural and Family Tales
Present and model techniques for developing values and character through personal narratives, folk tales and literature

• STORYTELLING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
This in-service presents teachers with strategies, methods and resources for using storytelling across the cirriculum. This workshop focuses on practical activities and common sense integration.

• STORYTELLING METHOD, TECHNIQUES and RESOURCES
Presents resources, activities, age appropriate methods and techniques to help teachers effectively intergrate storytelling in the cirriculum

~~~ Professional Development Opportunities for Professional Educators ~~~

• TALENTS UNLIMITED
A two-day initial workshop. Talents Unlimited is a research-based staff development program which helps teachers identify and nurture the multiple talents. (Cost: Workshop materials are currently $55.00 per person, consultant fee for Talents Unlimited Trainer is $300.00 per day, plus travel expenses, meals and lodging for the trainer)

• CREATIVE TEACHING METHODS
Offers a potpourri of ideas, methods, strategies and activities to promote and increase student participation

• TEACHER AS PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENT
This is a workshop for school communities seeking ways to promote a more positive public image. The consultant explores basic techniques for communicating the school’s mission, communicating a positive image to key publics and strengthening public relations activities.

• CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
ABCs of creating a safe, organized learning environment which promotes responsibility, mutual respect and values

~~~ Workshops for Parents~~~

• STORYTELLING AND SHARED VALUES
Parents will gain insight into the power of stories to form character, shared family values and teach important life lessons

• BUILDING A LANGUAGE RICH ENVIRONMENT
Parents will explore ways to enrich their preschoolers lives with rhymes, finger plays, community tours, lap time, play time, stories and the best that children’s literature has to offer.

~~~ Community Workshops ~~~

• ART OF STORYTELLING
A delightful informative workshop on storytelling that will stimulate the participants’ imagination, provoke memories and touch their hearts.

• SACRED TELLING: Tales of Faith and Healing
The storyteller uses her art to teach and inspire others to share in their own stories. She challenges the participants to take pride in the lessons, rituals and experiences of life.

• STORYTELLING AND SOUTHERN HISTORY
Offers the “how to’s” for successfully bringing our rich southern history alive.

• IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY
In this workshop you will learn practical techniques that will help you explore and shape personal and family stories.

Recent polls conducted by Character Education Partnership (CEP), a national advocate and leader for the character education movement, indicated that many educators support the ideas of character education but view character building as a community responsibility. Wanda's 'Carrying on the Oral Tradition: Fashioning Character with Folklore, Legends, Cultural and Family Tales' is a project designed to promote the power of this tradition and its ability to connect individuals, families and communities.

Wanda uses her nationally recognized talents, knowledge, and experience to demonstrate how character education can be strengthened throught the art of storytelling. She demonstrates how stories can make instrution come alive, and promote the use of stories to reinforce values. She conducts teacher, parent, and community workshops, schoolwide storytelling performances, and gives motivational speeches to promote this oral tradition.

Today, Alabama and thirteen other states mandate character education through state legislation. Twenty-four other states strongly reccommended that character education be part of the school cirrculum and youth development programs. National educational associations have strongly endorsed character education and are giving high priority to character education in their own journals, speeches, conferences and workshops.

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). One element of this education reform act was providing funds to states and districts to train teachers in methods of incorporating character-building lessons and activities into the classroom.

On June 19, 2002, the White House hosted the Conference on Character and Community to focus on character edication and the role of the community in cultivating young citizens' character development. During this conference, speaker after speaker shared stories, experiences, and their perspectives on character education, its importance, and its effectiveness.

Recently, the U. S. Department of Education heeded the mandates of the NCLB Act by awarding 16.7 million dolars in Character Education Parnership grants. Five states and thirty-four school districts were the recpients of Partnership in Character Education grants. The parnerships will provide teacher training, gauge and build community consensues on common values, involve parents in character education, and integrate character education into the curriculum.

No Child Left Behind also supports education reform by strengthening arts education as an integral part of the school curriculum. NCLB embraced the College Board data which shows that the students who have participated in sequential arts programs perform significantly better on verbal and mathematics sections of the SAT than their nonparticipating peers.