Presented by Jasmine Rosario

Our creative workshop offers students a challenging and inspiring journey of deep self-reflection as an act of self-love. Through guided prompts and writing activities, participants will explore both the light and shadow parts of themselves, using this introspection to uncover and embrace acts of self-love. The workshop culminates in the creation of a powerful spoken word poem, allowing students to package their thoughts and emotions into a compelling expression of their personal journey.

Location: Saratoga Room (2nd floor)

All Levels

Personal Stories

Jasmine Rosario, known as JRose, is a dynamic Spoken Word Artist from Queens, NY. As CEO of The Rose Garden Events and Executive Producer of The JRose Experience Talk Show, she has made a significant impact in the poetic world. A multiple slam champion, including the 2023 BRIC Brooklyn Grand Slam Finals, JRose also hosts the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Monday Night Slam. She’s a cast member of the Poetry Brothel and a mentor, teaching across the U.S., including Rikers Island. In 2024, she will release her debut poetry album and book. JRose is a visionary creating space for authentic expression.

Presented by Jennifer Munro

Do you have stories in your repertoire that somehow fail to come alive for your audience? Would you like to learn simple strategies that will make your stories “dance”? In this interactive workshop, Jennifer Munro will guide you through simple rhythmic techniques that will improve narrative structure and engage audience attention in a deep and powerful way.

Location:  Warren

Beginner, Intermediate Levels

Recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence Award, Jennifer Munro tells original, stories about rogues and heroes that resonate with the frailty and courage of the human condition. She also puts modern spins on ancient tales, often combining them with personal experience. She has produced three award-winning CDs and a collection of short stories, Aunty Lily and other Delightfully Perverse Stories, also an award winner. Jennifer has performed at the National Festival and the Timpanogos Festival. Her most recent project, a tour-de force performance of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, has been hailed by critics as “dazzling and spellbinding”.

Presented by Dr. Michael Lockett

Plan to laugh and have fun as you learn to use Story Play to facilitate learning in the classroom. Storytellers who want more work in schools will benefit from the presenter's 33 years of teaching that he puts into this session. Educators and parents will enjoy learning how to involve students in the telling of stories. Beyond being FUN - this session will show how to improve speech, listening, reading comprehension, reading fluency and student attitudes - all through the use of storytelling.

Location:  Adirondack East

ALL LEVELS

Dr. Mike Lockett is an educator/professional storyteller and a children's author. He is a teller of traditional tales in a non-traditional manner. He uses a variety of vocal skills including dialects and animal sounds in combination with movement and the use of props to hold the attention of even very young children. He shares stories with families all across the USA and other countries. Mike has given over 4000 programs and is the author of 18 children's books in the USA. He has released 5 audio storytelling albums and 1 storytelling DVD in the USA and has done a great deal of recording and publishing in Taiwan.

Presented by Laura Packer

Laura Packer has been coaching storytellers, writers, and others for decades, using deep listening, appreciation, and thoughtful questions to help them craft their best work. Now you can learn her coaching techniques and help others become better storytellers, plus you’ll learn a lot more about storytelling along the way. This workshop includes a brief history of story coaching, deep listening exercises, how to give powerful and effective appreciations and why that matters, and how to give non-critical feedback to help tellers make their stories even better. Expect to listen, be coached, coach others, and have fun.

Location:  Albany Room

ALL LEVELS

Laura Packer knows that the best way to the truth is through a good story; she has told, taught, ranted, raved, coached, consulted, and considered storytelling around the world for over 30 years. Laura believes storytelling, coaching, and most impactful human experiences start with good listening. She has won many awards including induction into NSN’s Circle of Excellence and the NEST Brother Blue award. For her story and more, go to laurapacker.com or patreon.com/laurapacker

Presented by Merrill Kohlhofer

“Through history, we can better understand where we have been, where we are now, and how we can do better.’ (American Association for State and Local History, 2022). History based storytelling is one of the most effective means of communicating and inspiring those understandings. In this workshop we will help each other discover more deeply ways of finding, crafting, and sharing stories from our past that speak to our condition in the present. Participants are encouraged to bring with them questions, a story or story idea, sources, or just thoughts on how history based stories can speak to the present.

Location:  Warren

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

TELLERS OF HISTORICAL STORIES

Merrill Kohlhofer is a minister’s son, originally trained as a preacher but turned professional freelance storyteller and educator, history museum guide and trainer, and now a retired National Park Service historic interpreter. He has been sharing his love of history, and especially of the forgotten stories that shape our country, for over 30 years now. He has told stories in historic sites, museums, conferences and most memorably aboard the schooners: Thomas Lannon, Adventure, Ernestina, and the full rigged ship Friendship.

Presented by Rona Leventhal

Words. They are the backbone of our work. It’s how we guide and navigate people through a story. But which words we use (and how we use them) can sometimes draw a listener in…..or take them out of the story. In this workshop we will examine which words or phrases might work best in certain story scenarios in order to engage the imagination and keep people in the story. *How* you say a word or phrase is also key and we will be examining this, as well. Let’s explore together!

Location:  Adirondack East

INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED

TRADITIONAL STORIES

Rona Leventhal is the real deal! She has been a Teller of Tales, a Storytelling Teacher and an Improvisational Theatre/Movement specialist for over three decades. Her workshops are hands-on and fun, guiding people to feel safe to explore and to walk away with skills that are immediately applicable and the motivation to use them! She has presented workshops at storytelling, education and library conferences nationally and internationally. Rona produced The Summer Storytelling Institute and has taught storytelling graduate courses for Educators. She has an award winning CD: “Into the Dark: Stories from the Shadows”; and is Coeditor of the award winning book Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope: Stories of Peace, Justice and the Environment.

Presented by Ivy Eisenberg

You've mapped out your story, added, removed, and shaped it for the telling. Now it is time to share the story with your audience. This session includes tips to make that powerful moment when you are actually telling your story to an audience as wonderful as it can be.

Our strategies draw from the disciplines of improv, theatre, comedy, and public speaking.

Location:  Albany Room

INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED

Ivy Eisenberg is an award-winning humor writer, Moth StorySLAM winning storyteller and comedian, who performs throughout the greater New York City area and Washington, DC. Ivy has conducted storytelling workshops and provided story coaching for several organizations and institutions, for adults of all ages as well as high school students.

Ivy has also co-produced scores of storytelling shows including Pros(e) of Pie (storytelling/pie bake-off event) and Storyboom (personal storytelling from neighbors/friends at local galleries, eateries, and breweries). Ivy inaugurated and leads a Jewish “Yom Kippur” storytelling program as well as a Pride Month storytelling program at her synagogue.

Presented by Steve Daut

Improv is a great way to loosen up your storytelling style and become more spontaneous on stage. Get out and do something crazy, like, oh, I don’t know, maybe play some improv games! Lock your better discretion up at home, fire your inner judge, and prepare to fill your bucket list with laughter, movement and overall silliness. Exercise your mind and your funny muscles with fun and easy improv games. The games are arranged in progressive order, increasing your skill as we go.

Location:  Warren

ALL LEVELS

Steve Daut has been telling stories in various forms ever since the dog first ate his homework. He has taken the stage as a magician, a stand-up comedian, a sketch comedian, and actor. He is a graduate of Second City, and a few Purple Rose Theatre workshops, and he has written and produced comedy sketches and short comedic plays. For the last ten years he has been telling stories professionally.

Presented by Chris Reidel

Your voice is a fundamental instrument of your storytelling, and each voice is personally unique. Our voices are part of our bodies as well as our imaginations, and this workshop will give you a deeper understanding of your voice’s physical and creative functions. Through games of imagination and exercises in technique, you will discover your personal, unique voice. Use that one-of-a-kind voice of yours to put stories across most expressively. Take away exercises and activities to use on your own.

Location:  Adirondack East

ALL LEVELS

Cris has been telling professionally for thirty years. She is the co-founder of the World-wide Virtual Storytelling Guild. Her background is in theater; she holds a BA and MFA in acting. When disability required her to leave that art, she completed an MLS with a concentration in school library. Much to her joy, storytelling was a part of those studies, and has received grants supporting her summer performances for eighteen years from the New York Council on the Arts/Genesee Council on the Arts.

Presented by Karl Schatz

Food connects us to the people and places in our lives, and our food stories help us form connections with others. This workshop will explore the power of sharing food stories to create personal connections between teller and listener, build trust, and address social disconnection. Attendees will learn about Community Plate’s philosophy and methodology around sharing food and stories, and the food-focused story prompts that we use to encourage sharing, listening, and facilitate connection. Using prompts, attendees will share their own food stories and discover how we find community and connection through our shared humanity around food and stories.

Location:  Albany Room

ALL LEVELS

Karl Schatz is the co-founder and Executive Director of Community Plate, a Maine-based nonprofit dedicated to building community and facilitating connection through the sharing of food and food stories. He is a farmer, storyteller, photographer, and journalist who has worked for Time Magazine and ABC Television. Karl has collaborated with his wife, Margaret Hathaway, on seven books on food, farming, and community, including two volumes of the Maine Community Cookbooks. He lives with his family on Ten Apple Farm in Southern Maine, where he leads goat hikes and tells stories of their life on the farm.

Presented by Kathleen Santopietro

How do we bring audiences over into story time? Norma Livo, a pioneer in storytelling education, says that the storyteller "learns how to trust the power of the ritual". This workshop focuses on that ritual. Participants discuss the purpose of story introductions vs. beginnings. Then the presenter will demonstrate techniques/strategies that entice listeners right from the start. We'll practice crafting beginnings that encourage listening using a story provided or one from your repertoire.

Location:  Adirondack East

BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE

Storytelling "just happened" to Kathleen via her career as an award-winning adult educator and has continued to be part of her life for 29+ years. She has come to appreciate applied storytelling in areas of health, spirituality, community, and lifelong learning. As a traditional storyteller she engages adult audiences with a unique telling style and loves crafting stories to meet audience purpose from pure entertainment to formal instruction.

She is a member of and has performed for Rocky Mountain Storytellers, National Storytelling Network, Texas Storytelling Association, and Northeast Storytellers. She designed curriculums accredited by the National Storytelling Network.