Melissa Holman-Kursky

Workshop on Humor in the Classroom/Improv for Teachers

Design Thinking/Ideation Phase improv-based workshop for female educational leaders/administrators at a multi-day conference.

Boards Without Boredom: How You Can Use Improv and Storytelling Skills to Improve Governance, Communication, and Camaraderie School governance is never a simple affair. An independent school board is tasked with coming together relatively irregularly, with diverse views and communication styles, and working quickly - yet effectively - with high levels of trust and constant idea generation, while making crucial decisions. And yet, much the professional development for boards is limited in scope, largely discussion-based, expensive, and even...boring? Using applied improvisation techniques, boards can learn to collaborate more effectively; build trust, empathy, and open communication; gain cognitive flexibility and active listening skills; and become vibrant, confident storytellers who can convey the school's mission in a compelling, authentic way.