Donna Willingham
Donna Willingham’s journey in becoming a Storyteller began when she was a Children’s Librarian working for Cleveland Public Library, Hough Branch. By planning and conducting Story Hour for children pre-school – early elementary, and planning and conducting summer and after-school activities for children of all ages, Ms. Willingham was unknowingly utilizing the cultural purpose of storytelling – teaching. By combining reading and writing with activities, youth were exposed to literacy in a way that was engaging and educational.
Through age-appropriate stories, Ms. Willingham uses storytelling as a means for highlighting and illustrating morals, offering encouragement, and stimulating imaginative thinking. And though formally trained through workshops and mentorships, Ms. Willingham credits the children of the Hough area for developing her storytelling style, which is a blend of facial expression, body movement, hand gestures, and vocal intonation. Stories shared are usually African and African-American folktales, but stories from other cultures are shared as well. Programming is suitable for a variety of venues, such as schools (classroom or auditorium), Day Cares, libraries, and Recreational Centers.
Ms. Willingham holds a B.A. in Speech and Hearing, A.A.S. in Sign Language Interpreting, M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, and MLIS Master of Library Science and Information Technology.
CAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BADGES EARNED
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As children grow from pre-teen to teen, they begin to become more curious about "their" world - analyzing who/what is in it, and how what happens in "their" world impacts them personally. They are also beginning to realize that they need to take accountability for their actions. In the "Finding Me: Character Building Stories for Inquisitive Minds" program, Folktales are shared to illustrate the relationship between actions and consequences, highlight a particular moral, or stories that are relatable to everyday life for this age range.
This program is also meant to help youth explore the possibility of using their voice in a creative way, be it through storytelling, creating poetry, or creating songs. To accomplish this, participants will also be given the opportunity to make their own creations through writing exercises. The goal of this program is to introduce participants to storytelling and/or writing as a way of self-expression that can be used throughout their lives.
The "Finding Me: Character Building Stories for Inquisitive Minds" program aligns with the following ODE Curriculum Standards:
Fine Arts: Create and Perform
6.4CO - Use dramatic and theatrical skills to demonstrate concepts or ideas from other academic areas.
SEL: Responsible Decision-Making
E 1. 1.C - Demonstrate critical thinking skills when solving problems or making decisions, recognizing there may be more than one perspective.
Program Artist:
Donna Willingham