Visits and Workshops
I’d love to visit and talk with your school or group!
A Note From the Author
When workshopping Freedom Pancakes For Ukraine in classrooms, I quickly became aware of the universality of students’ reactions to the book—no matter what the composition of each class. These included:
The deep compassion students felt toward the character Artem, for having to be separated from his father and having to leave his home and travel to a new country.
Their interest and excitement in the character Hannah’s efforts to help the children of Ukraine. They showed genuine understanding of Hannah’s impact on children like Artem, who himself found a way to “pay forward” the kindnesses he had been shown.
The sense of what kids can accomplish by giving to others, which inspired them to explore how they themselves could make a difference.
The Importance of Teaching Empathy
In a world where civility and kindness can be in short supply, and young people are exposed, via the internet, media and what they may see around them, to violence, cruelty, and selfishness, being able to make a difference to others is an important antidote. Especially because the research overwhelmingly demonstrates how compassionately helping others helps children themselves most of all, as it often results in lowered stress and risk of depression, enhanced self-esteem, and improved academic performance.
Research shows that empathy can strengthen the learning environment in classrooms and, especially important, that empathy can be learned. When children are exposed to other people’s life stories that are different from their own, and can learn to approach difference with curiosity instead of fear, their empathy grows.
On-site and Virtual Visits
I offer visits to schools, libraries, houses of worship, community centers, and youth groups—to anywhere that provides quality children’s programming.
My visits can be tailored to your and your students’ interests and can include:
Readings from the book
Discussion about how the book came to be written and created
Questions and answers about characters and plotlines in the book
Discussion about the power of helping others
Conversations about empathy and compassion and how to develop our “empathy muscle”
Presentations are 45 – 60 minutes
Ideal for ages 7 and up
Before visits, I do request that children are already familiar with the book.
Contact me to discuss my programs and my availability.
Click here for discussion questions.