School Author Visits & Workshops

This page is organized into three steps designed to help you explore themes and formats to tailor an experience for your students and school. When you're ready, you'll have an opportunity to submit an inquiry to start the conversation.

1. Explore Our Themes

Not Everything Spooky Is Scary

  •  

    It's about seeing clearly instead of fearing blindly.

    Themes:

    🔍 Curiosity

    👀 Perspective

    💪 Confidence

    💡 Critical Thinking

  •  

    Description:

    Sometimes the things that seem scary become a little less so when we ask questions and look closer. Inspired by Haunted House, thoughtful discussion and interactive activities encourage students to explore the power of understanding the unknown.
🔎 Look a Little Closer

The Courage to Soar

  •  

    It's about thinking clearly instead of following blindly.

    Themes:

    🔍 Curiosity

    💡 Informed Choices

    🦋 Self-Discovery

    🌱 Growth Mindset

  •  

    Description:

    Sometimes the best path isn't the one everyone else is taking. Inspired by Mei-Mei Flying With Flair, this engaging experience
    encourages students to ask questions, explore new perspectives, make informed
    choices, and discover what helps them soar.
✨ Imagine the Possibilities

2. Explore Our Formats

  •  📚 Author Presentation

    Students experience an engaging literacy presentation that combines storytelling, visuals, discussion, sound, and audience participation to bring stories to life.  

    Ideal For:

    Classrooms • Libraries • Grade Levels • Assemblies • District Events

  • ✏️ Story Partners Workshop

    A flexible literacy workshop where students create and illustrate their own original picture books (independently or with a partner).

    Ideal For:

    Smaller Groups • Classrooms • Literary Events • Writing Enrichment

  •  🏫 Customized Visits

    Create a mix of in-person Author Presentations and Story Partners Workshops to meet your schools goals, schedule, and budget. 

    Flexibility to Meet Your Needs:

    Literary Days/Weeks • Multi-Grade Learning Experiences • Custom Campus Enrichment

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Pricing ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

3. Let's Plan Your Visit

  • 🍎 We're Excited to Learn More About Your School

    Whether you're interested in a presentation, workshop, literacy event, or a customized author experience, we'll work with you to build the right fit for your goals, schedule, and audience.

    🚌 School Visits Near & Far

    Local school visits are available throughout the greater Austin area. Additional travel options and virtual visits may be available for schools outside the region and state.


    ❤️ Continue the Conversation

    Every author visit includes thoughtfully designed resources that help continue the conversation before and after our visit.

    ✨ Complete the inquiry form below to get started.
💬 Start the Conversation

Thank You for Visiting

We know that creating meaningful learning experiences requires lanning, coordination, and a great deal of care. We don't take that responsibility lightly, and we're grateful for the opportunity to be considered.

Still thinking or have questions? You'll find supporting resources and answers to frequently asked questions further down the page.

We look forward to connecting with you.

Meet the Creators Behind the Experience

Jaybie D.

Austin, Texas

Multi-award-winning children's author and illustrator. Inspired by a lifelong love of creating unforgettable experiences for children, Jaybie's stories encourage curiosity, confidence, empathy, and imagination.

Cathy Claassen

Lakeway, Texas

30+ years of elementary classroom experience. Cathy's insight helps ensure Story Partners remains engaging, age-appropriate, and thoughtfully designed around the way young learners explore, create, and grow.

Program Resources & FAQs

Not Everything Spooky Is Scary 🎭

The Courage To Soar 🚀

Questions Schools Often Ask

Do presenters complete background checks?

Both presenters maintain current background checks and comply with school visitor policies and district requirements.

What is the Story Partners Workshop?

Story Partners is a collaborative workshop that pairs younger students with older student mentors to create and illustrate original picture books together. The experience encourages creativity, communication, teamwork, and confidence while giving students the opportunity to become storytellers themselves.

What grade levels are your programs designed for?

Author presentations are designed for Kindergarten through 3rd Grade. Story Partners workshops pair younger students with 4th and 5th grade Story Partners to create and illustrate original picture books together.

Are presentations aligned to literacy and SEL initiatives?

Programs are designed to support literacy, creativity, communication, collaboration, and social-emotional learning while encouraging students to explore new perspectives and discover their own voices as storytellers.

Can a theme be connected to a specific school initiative?

Often, yes. Depending on scheduling and planning needs, themes and activities may be adapted to support literacy weeks, reading celebrations, creative writing units, SEL initiatives, and seasonal learning themes.

What if we're not sure which theme or format is right for us?

That's completely fine. Many schools begin with a goal rather than a specific theme or format. We'll work with you to explore options and build an experience that best supports your students, schedule, and learning objectives.

Can we combine themes and formats?

Yes. Themes and formats are intentionally flexible. Schools may choose a single presentation, a workshop, a half-day experience, or a combination of multiple themes and formats. We'll work with you to create an experience that fits your students, schedule, and goals.

How can presentations and workshops be combined?

Presentations and workshops can be scheduled in a variety of ways to meet the needs of your school. Some schools may choose a single assembly or workshop, while others may combine multiple presentations and workshops into a half-day or full-day experience. For larger groups, activities may be scheduled concurrently in separate spaces, allowing more students to participate throughout the day.

Do you offer district-wide or multi-campus author experiences?

Potentially. If your district is exploring literacy initiatives, reading celebrations, or coordinated programming across multiple campuses, we'd love to learn more about your goals. District and multi-campus opportunities can be customized based on audience size, scheduling, and location.

How long are presentations and workshops?

Interactive author presentations typically last 45–60 minutes.

Story Partners workshops also run approximately 45–60 minutes and are designed for groups of 20–40 students.

How many students can participate?

Presentations can be adapted for classrooms, grade-level groups, libraries, or large assemblies.

Workshops are intentionally smaller and designed for approximately 20–40 students to encourage meaningful collaboration and participation.

Do teachers need to remain with students during presentations and workshops?

Yes. Teachers and school staff remain responsible for student supervision and classroom management throughout the visit. Their participation helps ensure a positive experience for everyone.

What technology is required?

For the best experience, presentations benefit from reliable Wi-Fi access, a projector or large display screen, and audio capability.

Presentations can be delivered without Wi-Fi using a PowerPoint presentation; however, some interactive visual and audio elements may be limited.

Do schools need to provide any materials for the workshop?

Specific needs will vary depending on the workshop format and group size. Any materials, space requirements, and preparation details will be discussed during the planning process so everyone knows what to expect before the visit.

Do you travel outside Central Texas?

Based in Central Texas, our initial area of focus includes the greater Austin region.

Additional travel options may be available depending on location and scheduling.

How far in advance should we schedule?

The earlier, the better. Schools interested in author visits, literacy events, or seasonal programming are encouraged to reach out as soon as possible.

If books will be ordered for students, orders should typically be finalized 2–3 weeks before the visit to allow time for printing and shipping.

Can books be purchased for students?

Yes. Individual and bulk book orders may be arranged in advance of a visit. To allow time for printing, shipping, and organization, book orders should typically be finalized 2–3 weeks before the scheduled visit date.

What happens after we submit an inquiry?

After reviewing your submission, we'll reach out to learn more about your goals, students, and event plans.

Together, we'll discuss program options, scheduling, logistics, and any customization opportunities before building the right experience for your school.