As a Cultural Arts Representative at a large middle school in Northern NJ, I was able to bring a Residency from Storytelling Arts Inc to our students twice. On the second year, through a grant obtained by Storytelling Arts Inc, we added a Professional Development component for the English Department teachers. The program is fabulous, the Storytellers and their stories really engage with the kids, and the feedback from students and teachers as well was very positive. Based on my ten years as a cultural arts rep for my children school district, I highly recommend their in-school Residencies.
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I am one of the Cultural Arts Representatives at Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown, NJ. We had the great opportunity to serve 370 sixth graders with an awesome Storytelling Arts Inc. residency from September 29 through October 10, 2014. There were five storytellers (teaching artists) working at same time at our school. Each storyteller had a different and unique style to achieve the same goals set before the beginning of the program. I had the chance to observe one session with each storyteller! What a powerful and enlightening experience! Online surveys will be completed by the students and teachers this week. By all I heard so far from students, parents and the school vice principal, the residency was a complete success! The program was made possible through a generous grant processed by Storytelling Arts Inc. for which we are extremely thankful, as well as valuable support from Morris Arts, the Morris Educational Foundation and the Home School Association. I just hope to be able to host this same program in the years to come as it set a fantastic and necessary basis for "Creating Community" among our sixth graders! Thank you very much to Storytelling Arts Inc. and their amazing and extremely competent staff of teaching artists and executive director!
Julie from Storytelling Arts, Inc. just performed at our elementary school, and she was wonderful! She performed two programs, one for pre-k to second graders, and one for third to fifth graders. Each program was tailored for the appropriate age group, and the children loved her! I would recommend Julie and Storytelling Arts, Inc. for any elementary school!
Our school was able to have Luray Gross for a poetry residency this year. She was absolutely amazing! Students were introduced to the magic of poetry through many multi sensory activities. Ms. Gross went above and beyond to bring out the very best in each and every student. She brimmed with enthusiasm and love for her subject and the students were enthralled. We culminated this residency with a beautiful Poetry Celebration for the families and students. All in all, a stellar experience and a top quality program.
As a volunteer I've helped with the practicalities around Storytelling Arts events of all types so worked alongside nearly everyone in the organization. To a person everyone I've met is dedicated to their mission. In the end it is the people that matter and everyone at Storytelling Arts gets that and is committed to getting through to the kids they ultimately serve.
Storytelling Arts provided 3 days of storytelling to our Kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 classes. The students were riveted, and enjoyed the hands-on experience.
These students are English Language Learners, and through this storytelling experience, they were able to listen and understand a story, and then present it to their classmates.
A perfect lesson!
I first learned about Storytelling Arts through friends about 8 years ago, and before long began helping to sponsor a number of their friend-raising and fundraising events. SAI's dedicated troupe of storytellers are remarkable performers who not only promote literacy among children of all backgrounds, but open the door to a wide world of cultures, traditions.... and timeless truths. Best of all, the programs introduce young people -- including many who are disadvantaged -- to powerful new ways of self-expression and learning that can have a lasting impact. SAI is not like any other non-profit I know; its work is exciting and special and I encourage others to learn more about its mission.
Our school participated in a residency with Storytelling Arts. During that time, we had the benefit of professional storytellers for multiple classroom visits with specific classes of students. Students were introduced to the art of storytelling and as a result cultivated a deeper appreciation for literature. I was impressed by the improvement we noted in verbal and nonverbal skills as the students participated in carefully constructed story related activities. Also, the residencies were tailored to fit the curriculum standards and unique needs of the classroom of students.
I attended an event sponsored by Storytelling Arts. It was a great opportunity to learn more about this incredible organization and the student populations they serve. As I listened to the folk tales and myths told by their storytellers I began to realize how important such an opportunity is for our at-risk youth who will certainly be able to recognize stories from their own lives as they are engaged in listening and discussing with the storytellers. The programs of Storytelling Arts can be tied to poetry, reading, and creative writing. What a wonderful way to reach our youth and improve literacy!
I was an affiliated artist with SAI from its inception until earlier this year when I resigned from the roster for family reasons. The storytellers are serious, dedicated and talented teaching artists who can reach sometimes "unreachable" students. The art of storytelling they bring to the front lines in our public schools and other venues lights up minds and hearts and clears the way for possibility.
I've seen unreachable kids react to the storytellers brought into youth detention centers and special ed classrooms. SAI's programs are uniquely effective at boosting literacy, social skills, and self esteem in at-risk youth.
The professional storytellers of Storytelling Arts are teaching artists who bring to life of one of the most basic forms of human communication – storytelling. As an educational leader in an urban school district, I was thrilled to have Storytelling Arts (SAI) bring stories and the power of storytelling to the children in our classrooms as well as to the teachers and paraprofessionals. Through staff development workshops our educators honed skills as storytellers and also became more cognizant of benefits of using storytelling as a teaching tool. As a result of ongoing SAI residencies, the children demonstrated improvements in critical thinking skills (through discussion and analysis of stories presented), verbal and nonverbal skills (through storyteller modeling and student participation in group discussions) and enhanced listening skills. They also had opportunities to expand their awareness of other cultures and examine problem-solving skills for conflict resolution (through listening and responding to the stories).
Storytelling Arts has continued to bring uniquely tailored experiences to youth across New Jersey by providing services that have assisted improvements in literacy for at-risk children in over 60 schools, community organizations, juvenile detention centers and youth shelters. The women and men who are storytellers for Storytelling Arts are masters at engaging the listeners and using the stories as transformative educational tools.
I've been on the board about a year and a half, and I have come to really appreciate and admire the resolve and commitment of the board, as well as the talent and dedication of our storytellers, to deliver impactful and transformative experiences in improving literacy and effective communication skills. This past summer, I observed one of our experienced storytellers working with 5-to-6-year-old children of mixed genders during a summer camp program in West Windsor, NJ. She effectively led the group, responding to a variety of different levels of attention and engagement. Her planned program was also well thought out to encourage participation -- not just passive listening to stories, but active engagement in sharing their feelings, stimulating their imagination, and encouraging them to contribute to the overall experience of the session. She always made sure that even the most shy in the group had an opportunity to participate. I am very proud of our organization and look forward to its continued growth and success!
I was able to experience some of what the professionals of Storytelling Arts can do in action during their "Girl Power" time at the Bridge To The Arts summer camp where I was also a counselor. Under the direction of two master storytellers and teaching artists, the GIRL POWER campers brought stories to life through visual art, photography, and poetry writing. "Girl Power" provided girls ages 11 - 13 with the ability to shine as storytellers, while developing confidence and creativity. The campers came away with more confidence in their abilities to not only tell stories, but also interact with others in general.
Recently I was pleased to work with and advise selected members of the Storytelling Arts Board as they engaged in the necessary and fulfilling work of developing a new strategic plan. It was a terrific experience which allowed us all to capture the mission, vision, commitment and excitement of the organization. Teachers and parents should know that committed volunteers are focused on the meaningful work of Storytelling Arts and committed to this non profit's future.
Students were extremely engaged and excited about the Storyteling Arts. It allowed for students to use their imaginations and create their own details in their mind while listening to these stories. The stories were aligned with content students were learning in Social Studies which helped to enhance their skills and understandings of the material. Storytelling is great way to get students to practice writingand using their sensory details. Overall, my students LOVED this program! We continue to tell stories in class and connect them with the content being taught. It truly was an amazing experience to be a part of.
I've been involved with Storytelling Arts for a decade. I am also a secondary school teacher. I've twice participated in summer institutes. What I've seen in classrooms -- those of our tellers and my own-- is that this is as close to a magical teaching/learning method as there is. I once watched a fourth grader -- one of those kids who never gets it right-- stand in front of his class and tell the story of Mulan with absolute confidence. I've seen teachers who were all but burnt out come back to life in the supportive, fun, intellectually exciting atmosphere of the summer institute. Storytelling Arts is, literally, a life saver.
Just imagine your imagination racing as stories come to life!!! Storytelling Arts Storytellers make this happen. Our children have never been so engaged and interested in hearing stories. Storytelling Arts provided professional development for our teachers and followed up by applying it in our classrooms. They showed us how the traditional way of reading stories can be changed to telling stories in a creativre way. Highly recommended!!!!!
Literacy is to success as breathing is to life. Too often we take literacy for granted. Imagine a tested, proven program that engages 100% of students and increases their effectiveness in paying attention, comprehension, recall and telling, and critical thinking. Storytelling Arts does all this. Imagine the child who rarely speaks and can now tell a story confidently. Imagine a program where students and teachers cry tears of joy as a result of unleashing their potential -- just in a few classroom visits! What would it be like if the greatness in each child was awakened so they could tap into their abilities and soar? This program is experiential, first-class and its results proven and sustainable. Thank you Storytelling Arts for the difference you make in the world.
Storytelling Arts, Inc. is a wonderful company with fabulous expertise in telling stories. The children have an experience like no other! I have seen extraordinary benefits in students who participate in their programs. Ask a child what they ate for lunch yesterday and you'll get a very limited response. Ask them to retell the story they heard 6 months ago from this agency and you'll be blown away with the details! - Lauren Ralicki, Reading Specialist, LDTC
As a former elementary principal I saw first-hand the positive impact that Storytellers affiliated with Storytelling Arts, Inc. had on my student population many of whom were limited-English speakers. Several of the teachers, student teachers and I participated in their workshops and we also became storytellers and presented at schoolwide assemblies. The clasroom teachers used stories as a springboard into lessons. Based on a team decision I decided to establish storyteller residences in specific classes. Students wanted to become storytellers which meant they researched their own stories to tell. For some students who had limited English speaking skills, they told stories in their native language and others bilingually. It was contagious! In addition, Storytellinkg Arts offered addtional support workshops which inspired creativity on the use of storytelling as a powerful classroom tool. I would highly recommend a partnership with them.