In our fall series of creative/instructional online workshops, small groups will explore performing and creative arts, language arts, history, cultures, social justice, science, and Spanish.

Workshops are designed with the belief that when kids are creating, curious, and collaborating, learning is joyful!

More About Our Workshop Approach

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
Environmental Justice FULL
11-12
Fall Sketchbook
FULL 11-12
Fall Sketchbook
FULL 11-12
Puppetry
3-4
Play-Acting
3:30-4:20
Snail Mail
4:30-5:30
Script Club
4:30-5:30
Theater Games
4:30-5:30

Vocal Club
5:45-6:45
Two 6-week sessions (EST).
Fall 1 weeks of: 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19
Fall 2 weeks of: 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/7

*Homeschoolers! Contact us to learn more about how some of our workshops can be applied towards credit on middle/highschool transcripts in science, ELA, foreign language, and the arts.


Spanish Social Hour

Ages 9-14, Monday 9:45-10:45 with Daniel Farmer. Tuition $75/6-week session ($60-$120 sliding scale)

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Hola! Let’s practice our Spanish speaking skills while we get to know each other. Invito a todxs lxs estudiantes con deseo de hablar mejor el español. For those with beginner-intermediate basic Spanish wanting to collaborate to expand their knowledge through friendly, guided conversation. We might talk about my experiences in Spain and Latin America and your life and learning experiences. We might also talk about food, video games, and any other fun topic just to flex our language muscles. Bienvenidxs! Les espero!

Offered Fall 1

Concepts/Skills: Spanish vocabulary, conversation, culture.


*FULL* Environmental Justice

Ages 13-17, Monday 11-12 with Daniel Farmer. Tuition $150/12-week session ($100-$220 sliding scale)

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It’s our planet to care for, so let’s do it together.  Explore the realities of climate change and its effects on our planet through multiple lenses. Learn the science behind the greenhouse effect and global warming. Gain a deeper understanding of what sea-level rise, species loss, and shifting weather patterns mean for the planet. Discover various solutions to the climate crisis, including some that may surprise you!  This is a combined Fall 1 and Fall 2 class.

Project: Students will write an email to an elected official about Environmental Justice requesting action, and will design a personal, creative plan to combat climate change in their daily lives.

Fall 1: Climate Crisis Knowledge: We’ll start by learning about the science of climate change, technological, economic, and social solutions, and the ways social inequities cause greater harm to different groups of people all over the world.

Fall 2: Taking Action: So what do we DO about it?  Let’s build on the knowledge we now have, research creative strategies, and develop corrective ideas for our own homes, neighborhoods, and country, to address the environmental and social implications of this global issue.  

Concepts/Skills: Earth Science, environmental studies, social justice, history


The Joy of Puppetry

Ages 7-11+, Mondays 3-4pm with Linnea deRoche. Tuition $90/6-week session ($60-120 sliding scale)

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Anything is possible in puppet theater! Let’s transform household items and basic art supplies into crafty characters. We’ll use theatrics and voice to explore storytelling and cultures together. Wide range of reading abilities welcome.

Project: Produce various homemade puppets and a Zoom video recording of our puppetry performance.

Fall 1: Worldschooling Through Folktales. An exploration of folktales from around the world. Let’s “travel” to Cuba, Argentina, and Puerto Rico with Juan Bobo, a trickster Rooster, and a Magic Bean tree. We will learn traditional tales and bring them to life through puppetry.

Fall 2: Puppets for Change. Remake traditional stories and tropes for a more loving and inclusive world through puppetry. How can we use our puppets to reimagine narratives and reinvigorate tired tropes?

Skills/Concepts: acting, crafting, language arts, cultures, geography

Add-on tutoring extensions: Elementary reading /writing coaching and/or enrichment using theater as a base. Scheduling and pricing TBD with Linnea or Melissa.


Snail Mail Magic

Ages 8-14, Mondays 4:30-5:30pm, with Linnea deRoche, Tuition $100/6-week session ($60-120 sliding scale)

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Who doesn’t love fun mail delivered right to their house with their very own name on it? Each week we will create a different mail project while honing our creativity, writing and self-expression skills. Students will send mail to each other and to folks in the community who could use a little extra joy! Wide range of writing abilities welcome.

Project: Students will get a care package in the mail from Linnea with some stamps, surprise supplies and a schedule to send mail to others in the workshop.

Fall 1: Mail for Generations. Connect in this slow and exciting way to people of all ages: friends, family, and people at a senior center.

Fall 2: Mail for Activism. Send letters and art for change! We will explore creative ways to share our beliefs about important topics while also making beautiful mail.

Skills/Concepts: writing, drawing, crafting, community service


Video Voice-Over Mashup

Ages 8-80, Mondays 6-7pm, with Linnea and Ry deRoche, Tuition: $100/6-week session ($60-120 sliding scale)

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Project: Video projects of our mash-ups

Have you ever wanted to change what characters in a show are saying? Or have you ever wanted to narrate what a pet might be thinking if only they could speak human? Find out what happens when we act out scenes, take away the sound and then narrate each others’ videos to create completely new silly scenes. We will also try our hand at narrating the inner thoughts of animals like this. Not sure exactly what this means? Fear not. This is brought to you by the same people who created this silly Home Sweet Home music video so we are sure to have some fun. Note: you will be asked to create 2-3 audio and video files outside of class.

Skills/Concepts: acting, language arts, comedy, video production

Fall 1 Only.


*FULL* Fall Sketchbook

Ages 10+, Fall 2 only: Tuesday & Thursday 11-12am with Phil Blank. Tuition $110/6-week session, 2x/wk, ($60-120 sliding scale)

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Not just leaves and sunsets! In Fall Sketchbook, we will cover drawing from observation but we will also use the sketchbook as an excuse to wander around our memory and imaginations, document overheard conversations, embrace the serious and the goofy, and see and notice things we normally let slip through the cracks. Media includes pencil, pen, ink, watercolor and more. This workshop meets twice/week. Tuesday’s class is a more traditional, instruction-rich day and Thursday’s class is a studio day.

Project: A sketchbook full of drawings, writings, emotions, doodles and memories, and a young person connected to their sketchbook practice.

Fall 2 only.

Concepts/Skills: drawing, watercolor, journalling, writing, humor


Play-Acting Party

Ages 6-9, Wednesday 3:30-4:20 pm with Melissa Church. Tuition $90/6-week session ($60-120 sliding scale)

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Role playing comes so naturally to the younger set. It’s how they explore role-reversals, the adult world, relationships, and of course, their imaginations. It’s such fun to decide what your name and age is going to be, and who is in charge! Early literacy concepts will be practiced as we read/write plot and character plans together. Bring your afternoon snacks to the party.

Project: Produce a Zoom recording of some of our favorite play-acting scenes using props and costumes.

Fall 1: Endless Play-Acting Possibilities. Let’s play family (always a winner). Or School or Forest Adventure or even Quarantine Life?

Fall 2: Endless Play-Acting Possibilities Continue..

Skills/Concepts: teamwork, language arts, performance

Add-on tutoring extensions: Elementary reading /writing coaching and/or enrichment using theater as a base. Scheduling and pricing TBD with Melissa.


Script Study Club

Ages 10-14, Wednesday 4:30-5:30 pm with Melissa Church. Tuition $90/6-week session ($60-$120 sliding scale)

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If exploring well-written characters through acting sounds like your thing, join the club. Using established works, we’ll learn about monologue & dialogue, character development and story arc. Discuss the historical-cultural context and themes in scripts with fellow play-lovers.

Project: Produce a Zoom video recording of script excerpts performed together using props and costumes.

Fall 1: The Secret Garden. An orphan’s relationship with her sick cousin uses the magic of nature and the power of childhood to heal and bond. Let’s challenge the trope of tying ability to happiness.

Fall 2: The Diary of Anne Frank. The thoughts and experiences of a brave, poetic teenage girl hiding in an attic from Nazi occupation are unforgettably impactful. Our sensitive discussion of the Holocaust will focus on Anne’s words and the healing nature of theater art. Prior knowledge of this history is recommended.

Skills/Concepts: acting, language arts, history, cultures, social justice

Add-on tutoring extensions: Acting coaching, original scene-writing, script analysis essay writing. Scheduling and pricing TBD with Melissa.


Vocal Study Club

Ages 8-14, Wednesday 5:45-6:45 pm with Melissa Church. Tuition $100/6-week session ($60-$120 sliding scale)

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Singing is food for the soul, especially with friends. Practice basic vocal technique, learn melodies and simple harmonies in an encouraging space. Discuss the historical-cultural context, musical genre, and thematic focus of songs. All abilities welcome.

Project: Produce an audio file of one song showcasing our wonderful voices together. Audio-recording is done at home using a provided backing track. Editing is done by the teacher.

Fall 1: Love is love is love… Songs about LOVE – for friendship, family, community, and humanity.

Fall 2: Worldschooling Through Protest Music. People-power songs from around the world. Let’s tackle some foreign language phrasings together in this process.

Skills/Concepts: singing, language arts, history, cultures, social justice

Add-on tutoring extensions: beginner vocal coaching, songwriting, song analysis essay writing. Scheduling and pricing TBD with Melissa.


Friday Fun Theater Games!

Ages 7-14, Friday 4:30-5:30 pm with Melissa or Linnea. Tuition $25/family/6-week session if currently registered in a workshop, $50/family if only taking Friday Games.

End the week with silly, social, theater games. See your old SJ friends and meet new ones. It’s all about community here, so let’s play!

Offered Fall 1 and/or Fall 2


The SJ program has been an empowering and exciting theater and community experience for my daughter.  Linnea and Melissa really “get kids,” and create a warm, welcoming and wildly creative space for young people to grow themselves in positive and powerful ways.  SJ stands out as a place that nurtures so much more than a singular skill.  You can expect your child to engage in deep thinking, to learn to appreciate multiple perspectives and to be challenged to create something uniquely in their own voice.

Parent Rachel Schwartzman

Teachers

Staging Journeys co-creators Melissa Church and Linnea deRoche are joined with fellow teachers who are experienced in the arts, in education, and in subject-related fields. We are practiced in shaping content around the interests and abilities of students, and in building community among young people.

Our workshops are not adult-presentation-driven; they are creative and collaborative. Teachers design and lead workshops with an effort to center anti-racism and inclusivity in age-appropriate ways.


Melissa Church (she/her) has an M. Ed., certifications in Elementary, Special Ed., and as a Reading Specialist, and over 20 years of teaching experience. She is a children’s theater director, worldschool/homeschool parent, and international family travel leader. Read more…


Linnea deRoche (they/them) has a B.A. in Communication and an M. Ed. With a focus on anti-racism and playful self-inquiry, they teach in classrooms, direct theater and also facilitate workshops for LGBTQIA+ youth, English Language Learners, unschoolers, and other radical groups of all ages. Read more…


Daniel Farmer (he/him) has a B.A. in Environmental Studies.  He is creator of The Alley, an allyship community and anti-racist consulting company.  He is an environmental educator, Spanish tutor, and world traveler currently living in Taiwan.   Daniel recently served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mexico.  He is excited about any opportunity to engage with youth and adults alike about their place in the world.


Phil Blank (he/him) is a practicing illustrator, artist and former librarian working in watercolor, ink and oil paint. He loves to tell historical stories with images and words. The heart of his work is his sketchbook practice, which has formed the basis of workshops that he has offered to adults and children alike. In his spare time, he is a homeschooling dad and an obsessive guitarist and accordion player. See more PhilBlank.com


Tuition

Sliding scale is a tool that allows workshops to be offered at multiple price points based on individual family circumstances and the importance of equity. Additional scholarships are also available. We aim to never turn a young person away due to finances.

  • The amount listed as the tuition price allows us to run the workshop affordably with 5-10 students.
  • If you need to pay a lower amount on the scale to participate, feel free to do so.
  • If you are able to pay a higher amount on the scale, doing so allows us to cover additional programming expenses.

Tuition is paid directly to individual teachers via PayPal or Venmo through the online registration forms linked above.

Registration

  • Most workshops have a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 students.
  • Register separately for each workshop.
  • Register separately for each young person (except the Friday Game class is one registration per family).
  • You can register for Fall 1 and Fall 2 sessions together or separately.