• Spellbinders: A Program of Character and Community Building through Storytelling

    The Benefits of Storytelling

    Storytelling is an acknowledged stimulus to reading, but even more importantly it:

    • Provides children with positive, character-building role models.
    • Provides natural and nourishing communication between generations.
    • Enhances children’s language skills, listening skills and comprehension.
    • Stimulates children’s creative imagination.
    • Acquaints children with the folktales, legends and true stories of many cultures and many lives.
    • Gives volunteers an opportunity to be of service to their community.
    • Gives older adult volunteers an opportunity to be of traditional significance and purpose to their communities.

    Most of all, the Spellbinders program of volunteer storytelling creates intergenerational relationships outside of family, giving the listeners the experience of volunteer neighborhood support and the perception that “adults in my community care about me”.

    How Can I Become a Spellbinder?

    The Peekskill Chapter was started in the summer of 2004.  It is part of a growing non-profit organization with chapters in eight states and Canada.  Our volunteers have come from Westchester, nearby counties and New York City.  Some of our storytellers have been telling stories since our chapter was founded!

    You can learn to become a Spellbinder by completing a 12-hour workshop usually spread over 3-4 days.  Spellbinders tell stories of their choice from folktales, fables, true stories, from all over the world, Stories are told in school classrooms, libraries or other supervised settings.Twelve-hour training sessions are scheduled as soon as there is sufficient registration.   Volunteers are expected to make at least a one-year commitment of telling stories at least once per month and attending monthly in-service sessions.  All volunteers must fill out an application with the school district and undergo a background check and fingerprinting,

    For more information, training schedules, etc., please call / contact: 
    Linda Conte  -  (914) 271- 5324 or lindaconte2016@gmail.com.