Storytelling Residency:

Storytelling is a powerful tool for teaching and learning, as it encourages and enables students to develop their oral language skills and foster an appreciation for reading,

 writing, and speech. This program consists of weekly workshops for 5^th graders at their schools, involving exercises in story-telling, sharing, public speaking, and oral history. Participating classes integrate academic curricula into the workshop, enhancing the goals of the NC Standard Course of Study within Arts Education. The Residency concludes w

ith a Storytelling Concert presented by the student participants for their peers (grades 2-4) at their school. This additional demonstration of storytelling helps establish the program as an important transitional benchmark for students in elementary school. This incredible program is facilitated by Fred Motley, a master Storyteller who has performed storytelling in schools, libraries, and museums throughout the Southeast. Dr. Motley holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for Storytelling from The Living Epistle Bible College in Brown Summit, North Carolina. This program received support from Person County United Way. 

Mural Residency:

New in 2023, this visual arts residency facilitated by Dr. Debi L. Drew, will engage 8th graders at Southern Middle School and help them create a mural that will have a lasting impact on generations to come. More information will be shared as this program grows and develops.