kentucky Humanities at the Schools: Your Story Matters
Sharing the Kentucky Book Festival Across the State
Kentucky Humanities at the Schools brings authors and speakers to dozens of schools across the state to meet students in an exciting, interactive learning experience. Schools awarded incur no charges for these visits thanks to support from our sponsors.
Humanities at the Schools: In Action
Take a look at Humanities at the Schools in action across the Commonwealth! These photos highlight moments from recent author visits, where students engage with storytelling, creativity, and imagination.
The first series of images features author and illustrator Susan Mills visiting Clearfield Elementary, where she shared her children’s book Alex, the Awesome and Artsy Allosaurus with young readers.
Also featured is Shawn Pryor’s visit to Bryan Station Middle School, where he shared his novel The Gamer: Movie Menace with more than 130 students.
Additionally, storyteller and author Mary Hamilton led an engaging presentation for Gifted and Talented students at Henry Clay High School, based on themes and concepts from her book Kentucky Folktales: Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies.
How to Apply…
- Type One: Speaker with presentation.
School visits, speakers will meet with an assembly of students and will present a topic or engage the students in an interactive learning experience. If the speaker is an author and if so appropriate, Kentucky Humanities at the Schools will purchase a set of books as a gift for the library of the school.
- Type Two: Speaker with presentation plus free books for all children attending the event. School visits, speakers with presentation plus free books will meet with an assembly of students and will give a presentation or engage the students in an interactive learning experience, much like in the previous case, but after the presentation, each student will receive a personalized, signed book by the author to add to their reading collections at home.
This year, high schools will be eligible only for Type One visits, while elementary and middle schools can apply for both Type One and Type Two visits.
Questions? Email us at katerina.stoykova@uky.edu.
participating Authors + Speakers
Amanda Driscoll
Amanda Driscoll lives in Louisville, KY. Picture books are her passion. She is the author/illustrator of Duncan the Story Dragon, Wally Does Not Want a Haircut, Klondike Do Not Eat Those Cupcakes, and Little Grump Truck.Her presentations target grades K-4 and include her publishing journey, the process of creating a picture book, an interactive drawing session, and Q & A. Older grades include a story structure discussion and interactive writing session.
B. Elizabeth Beck
B. Elizabeth Beck is the author of five collections of poetry. Swan Songs, her debut collection of short stories is forthcoming in 2025. She is the author of the Summer Tour Trilogy. Elizabeth founded two poetry series, Teen Howl, and Poetry at the/ˈtā-bəl/ in Lexington, Kentucky. Elizabeth’s presentation is called, “How to Never Face the Blank Page Again.” It is an interactive ekphrastic workshop that will engage students to connect with art to write.
Jessica Young
Jessica Young‘s award-winning books include picture books, early readers, and early chapter books like Two Homes, One Heart; I’ll Meet You in Your Dreams; My Blue Is Happy; Play This Book; the Haggis and Tank Unleashed series; and the Fairylight Friends series. A former art teacher, Jessica loves sharing the creative process and ‘author tools’ with students and encouraging them to tell their own stories through interactive presentations like Story Gardening—Idea Seed to Book.
Latrell Halcomb
Latrell Halcomb is a proud native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a deep passion for writing children’s books. Latrell works as a fuel truck driver, balancing his professional career with his dedication to family life. Through his work and personal endeavors, he is committed to being a positive role model for young scholars. Latrell’s presentation offers insight into the writing process from an author’s perspective, highlighting the significance of literature, sentence structure, punctuation, and other key elements of effective writing.
Nancy Kelly Allen
Nancy Kelly Allen has gone buggy. Her two lastest books are proof. In Bugs on the Job some bugs eat rotting wood. TREE-mendous! Some flash lanterns. De-LIGHT-ful! Bugs are out for blood and TICK-led to gnaw you in Dear Vampire. Beware the KISS Mwah! of a kissing bug. Nancy’s route to writing fifty-two books began in school as a teacher and librarian, where she read to students during the day and wrote for them at night.
Sarah McCartt-Jackson
Sarah McCartt-Jackson is a Kentucky poet, folklorist, and educator whose poetry books include Stonelight, Calf Canyon, Vein of Stone, and Children Born on the Wrong Side of the River. In the program Your Voice, Your Verse, Jackson introduces students to poetry writing and discusses how she uses folklore, oral history, and place in her poetry. Students have the opportunity to hear poems from Kentucky poets and incorporate their own voice into creative expression.
Shawn Pryor
Brittany J. Thurman
Brittany J. Thurman is the celebrated author of Fly, Fearless, and Forever and Always. Her award-winning picture books and middle-grade novels inspire confidence, creativity, and self-expression. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, she studied theater in London, England. When Brittany is not writing, she embroiders, travels, and spends time with elders. Through her presentations, students will be inspired to push past roadblocks and overcome obstacles by finding their voices, sharing their unique stories, and following their dreams.
Jayne Moore Waldrop
Jayne Moore Waldrop is an attorney and author of five books, including A Journey in Color: The Art of Ellis Wilson and She Remembered It All: The Art of Memory Painter Helen LaFrance. Her presentations will focus on the acclaimed artwork of Ellis Wilson and Helen LaFrance, their common ground growing up in or near Mayfield in rural western Kentucky in the early twentieth century, and the historical context of their artistic journeys.
Dr. Kathryn West
Dr. Kathryn West is a professor of English at Bellarmine University and directs the Women and Gender Studies Program. She teaches 20th- and 21st-century American literature, as well as Women’s and Contemporary International literatures. “Listening to Indigenous Voices” highlights recent changes in our understanding of Native American history and cultures, such as migration theories, population numbers, philosophies, first contact experiences, relationship to land, and achievements. We’ll listen to ancient and contemporary voices share their wisdom.
Marshall Fields
Mary Hamilton
Mary Hamilton, author of Kentucky Folktales: Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies, has told stories professionally since 1983. A founding member of the Kentucky Storytelling Association and a recipient of a Circle of Excellence award from the National Storytelling Network, Mary’s passion is storytelling. In her interactive presentation, “Oral Storytelling – What’s That?” she engages students in oral activities highlighting skills and techniques storytellers use and tells stories and story snippets as examples.
Dr. Raymond A. Lauk
Dr. Raymond A. Lauk, an award-winning teacher, author, and storyteller trained at Chicago’s Second City Theater, is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Eastern Kentucky University. He teaches courses in leadership, management, and diversity and hosts EKU’s monthly storytelling show, Talking Out of School, where participants share personal stories of growth and resilience. This workshop teaches participants to craft and deliver authentic, engaging stories that inspire and connect with their audience.
Susan Mills
Susan Mills created the award-winning DinoSprout Educational Book Series, featuring lovable dinosaurs that teach valuable life lessons about diversity, overcoming challenges, helping others, and embracing strengths. She spends time with students, talking about why she became an author, and interacts with students about how they can make a difference by including, accepting, and celebrating those around them. Her books feature characters with a range of exceptionalities, including anxiety, sensory processing, autism, food allergies, vision loss, etc.