DOWNLOADABLE / PRINTABLE PDF – NYC DOE IMPROV PROGRAMMING

NYC DOE PROGRAMING by EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH, IMPROV 4 TEENS IMPROV 4 KIDS

NYC DOE VENDOR #IMP928764

K12 EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPS

We have been hosting New York area schools at our Times Square area theater since 2005. Each show is created on the spot based on audience suggestions and participation. Students are excited to see live comedy. In the process they are exposed to amazing music and theater.

WORKSHOP $300 up to 2 hours, 20 students, $15/additional student

While having a ton of fun playing Improv games, students learn creative writing, critical thinking, team communications, public speaking, listening, focus and self confidence. This is very similar to the workshop we present for corporate groups to develop team, leadership, sales and service skills. Full workshops recommended for grades 3 and up.

DAY TIME FIELD TRIPS $600 up to 50 students $12/Additional Student

10:30 Show is followed by a mini workshop element and time for students to eat their lunches in the theater

We have two theaters/casts and can seat up to 240ppl (inclusive of chaperones) at one time. SHows are fun for all ages Pre K and up. The shows are customized for the age group.

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE SHOW, WORKSHOP PIZZA for just $25/student

(minimum 10 students for group rates evening/weekends, minimum 30/$750 for daytime field trips)

Each group will get their own private teacher for a 60-minute workshop. Then enjoy NYC Pizza and beverage while helping create an original Improvised comedy show. The professional cast performs original skits and songs improvised on the spot based on audience suggestions and participation.

To book email us your choice of dates, number of students/chaperones, grade level and prefer program form the above. Ask about rates for larger groups Title 1 and other special needs.

IN SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES

Improv 4 Kids played its first show when a Farmington, CT asked the cat of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH if they could play clean enough for an elementary school.  In 2004 they played 4 Farmington Schools. Since then the cast has performed more than 6000 shows for K12 audience at schools, camps and community centers. A typical assembly runs 45 minutes, but we can offer up to 60 as per your schedule needs. The show is a series of 5-minute scenes and songs improvised based on audience suggestions. Most shows will invite as many as 20 students on stage to more directly steer the show.

NATIONAL BOOKING RATES  – K12 SCHOOLS $800; COLLEGE/CORPORATE $1500-5000

NYC DOE RATES

$600 ONE SHOW up to 60 minute (1.5 hours with set-up) with four teaching artists.

$900 TWO SHOWS or SHOW/WORKSHOP COMBO 2.5 hours with set-up

$1500/DAY up to four shows/workshops (Can be split between sister schools)
$6000/WEEK. Up to 20 shows/workshops, up to 10 schools

• NO LIMIT on audience size providing school has sufficient sound system for the space. HOwever the show works best for audiences of <200.
• Four teaching artist can work with up to 120 students for a single workshop
• TECH NEEDS – Sound System designed for the space with 4 microphones (2 is enough for smaller spaces <100ppl). LArger theaters (500+) wireless lapels recommended. Piano or Keyboard (We can supply as needed)

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING

We have been presenting weekly classes in Times Square and at NYC Schools since 2009. These students become leaders in their schools, mastering self confidence, public speaking and team skills. These student become better students that listen, focus and participate in class discussions. Some of our students have appeared on TV and commercials. A few have been hired by our company after graduating.

SINGLE WORKSHOP $300 up to 2 hours, FULL DAY $500 TWO 2-hour sessions

10-CLASS RESIDENCY $2000, 15-CLASS RESIDENCY $3000

Compress into a single week or weekly in school / after school sessions

Each two hour session can be for one group OR two back to back 45-60 minute sessions.

We can use any class room, but we do request a space that is not shared by other activities.

Let us host your class for a workshop or weekly programming at our Times Square area theater.
Have a student that may be interested in our public programs? Contact us for discount rates.

Public programs include stand-up comedy writing and performance.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT for TEACHERS

Our professional development programming has two prime functions.

1) Our corporate style team building allows your staff to work together, better communicate with students and parents and better lead classroom discussions and lectures. We discuss psychological safety and other corporate team concepts. More advance sessions can deal with conflict resolution and other issues facing your specific team.

2) We teach how to use Improv in the classroom to engage students. As is, Improv games bring fun into the classroom. The laughter alone increases confidence and lowers stress and blood pressure. Improv teaches listening and focus. Rather than memorizing items for a test, engaged students absorb information and concepts. Use Improv to break the ice before a quiz or intense discussion. Use Improv to role play famous historical figures, characters from books and plays or demonstrate scientific principles. While we would love to work with every student every day, we understand this is not financially feasible. However learning to lead and teach Improv games is easy.

When the entire team – administration, teachers, staff and students – adopt YES AND… into their lives, the entire school changes. Suddenly all work together as a team. Everyone learns to listen and communicate their needs. Negativity due to lack of communication and understanding gives way to a collective goal.

A Scientific Case For Laughter

Humor and creativity work in similar ways, says humor guru William Fry, M.D., of Stanford University–by creating relationships between two disconnected items, you engage the whole brain.

For years we were all about being the most fun a school ever had on a field trip or at an assembly. Thank you notes told us we succeeded in this almost weekly. Then in recent years, thanks to feedback from teachers and parents, we realized we offered so much more, inspiring and teaching creativity, community and leadership. But now science tells us that perhaps our greatest gift to the students is the laughter!

What can laughter do?: Here are just some benefits for mental, physical and social health

• Lower blood pressure
• Increase vascular blood flow and oxygenation of the blood
• Give a workout to the diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles
• Reduce certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline
• Increase the response of tumor- and disease-killing cells such as Gamma-interferon and T-cells
• Defend against respiratory infections–reducing the frequency of colds–by immunoglobulon in saliva.
• Increase memory and learning; in a study at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, humor during instruction led to increased test scores
• Improve alertness, creativity, and memory

In children social play is critical to the development of social skills and emotional intelligence. Restricted play results in deficient social skills which can lead to life-long physical, mental, emotional and social problems. Laughter promotes childlike playful behavior. New research shows that playful adults continue to learn social skills and improve their emotional intelligence. Learning requires that one lower what linguists call the “affective barrier.” You can’t be uptight and learn much. You have to ease up and laugh to create. FROM http://www.laughteryogaamerica.com/services/laughter-education-733.php

Our program (should) always begins with a show demonstrating the art of Improv Comedy, getting the entire student body and staff laughing together. Workshops and Master Classes teach the basics of Creativity, Community and Leadership. Residencies develop future leaders while preparing for a public performance with in depth discovery into creative writing and thinking, public speaking, self-confidence and more. Professional Development programming gives your staff the tools to continue the work long after we move on to the next school.

Improv comedy shows & workshops pair well with a number of school programs.

Comedy is only the beginning

CULTURAL ARTS

Our Improv shows & workshops, while disguised as modern comedies, are actually amazing music and theater programs. Our brand of Improv is basically a modern presentation of vaudeville. Creating laughs with bigger than life characters and stories. Every show includes 3-4 songs – madrigal, blues and irish jig just to name a few. Our longer shows include a mini Broadway Musical improvised on the spot.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Improv is a powerful tool to teach language arts, both written and spoken. Improv is storytelling. In addition to learning how to perform – public speaking, listening etc, we need to create original characters, setting and plots. We teach how to be creative, how to avoid writer’s block, and how to build an idea into a full story. In our simplest games (One WOrd STory etc) we are teaching how to use good grammar, diction and projection.

CHARACTER BUILDING

One of the most powerful aspects of Improv is building self confidence. We create a fun safe space where students can create and play. We discovered the concept of Psychological Safety in our Corporate programming. We now bring this into our K12 workshops as well  As a result they learn to overcome fears of failure and judgement. They learn it is OK to mess up, and by not freaking out, better learn from mistakes. These skills pour over to create team and leadership skills. We have presented many workshops and shows in line with anti-bully programming. By building self confidence one eliminates a major factor that creates both bullies and victims.

HAVE FUN! But NEVER at another’s expense!

In 2015, Google released the findings of its four year study, Project Aristotle. The biggest takeaway is the importance of Psychological Safety to team success. Improvisations #1 rule, “YES! And…” is all about psychological safety. Playing a series of games, Improv teaches us to work together without ego and insecurity. We make bold choices that support and build upon our team’s offerings.

YES AND… & PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY + PERFORMANCE DRIVE  = THE LEARNING ZONE
“YES! And…” is rule #1 in Improvisation. “YES! And…” is all about team communications and performance.
Psychological Safety is recognized as the #1 determining factor behind team success. (See Project Aristotle)

“YES!” is all about accepting your colleagues and their contributions to the team.  “YES” is Psychological Safety! As we play Improv games we are all equals, regardless of age, experience, race, creed, personality etc.  We create a safe space and level playing field for all to play. We accept our colleagues 100% as is. EVERYTHING they say and do. We do not judge. We do not fear.

“AND…” is all about contributing valuable work and information to the team. We are not going to let our colleagues do all the work by simply saying “YES!” We are going to take this to the next level by accepting our colleagues work “AND…” build with our own contributions, supporting everything that comes before our new addition.”AND…” is Performance Drive, coming from within.

When the whole team embraces “YES! And…” we enter the learning zone together. The entire team is now personally engaged in the success of the team. This brings out the best in all of us. We leave ego and insecurity behind. We trust ourselves and our team. We now are hyper focused on team  success and its goals. The entire team accepts and overcomes challenges together. We do not fear challenges, we are not overwhelmed. The entire team wins.

The past two pages were written with our corporate programming in mind.
More and more we are able to bring this valuable concept to students and teachers!