Collaborative groups will begin in September for the 08-09 school year.
If you would like to join a group or establish a group at your location
please contact us using the links below.
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Information
Board of Directors
Melissa Heckler, M.S.Ed., M.LS.
President, 2003-2011
Elementary School Librarian
White Plains, New York
Melissa Heckler is the new school librarian at the Carrie E. Tompkins School in Croton-on-Harmon, New York. She was formerly the librarian at the Lee F. Jackson School in Greenburgh. She came to librarianship by way of storytelling and working with children in temporary housing. In 1999, she won the Overcoming the Odds educator's award from Student Advocacy for her work with children in temporary housing. Melissa was instrumental in creating the Jackson school model, now promoted nationally, which brings together teachers, caseworkers and service agencies to coordinate and promote the educational needs of children in temporary housing. A professional storyteller since 1978, she co-authored with Carol Birch the award winning book Who Says?: Essays on Pivotal Issues in Contemporary Storytelling (August House, 1996).
In 1990, Melissa helped create the first in-village schools for the Ju/’hoansi
in the Kalahari in Namibia, Africa. The first school was held under a
little thorn tree in a remote village; now there are four fully functioning
schools in the Nyae Nyae region. She has published articles about her
experiences in indigenous education as well as storytelling. Her educational
interests continue to be the power of play, education for a democratic
society, the role of story and storytelling in teaching and learning and
advocacy for equity for all children based on the indigenous learning
model she learned in Africa. Her two adult children, Annabelle and Paul
helped her in developing the Nyae Nyae Village schools (when they were
children) and continue to inspire her in every facet of her life.