Recently we spent time in Illinois attending the annual Centre East school assembly performers showcase in Skokie. One of our performers, Dick Buchholz, was there all day sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with school representatives from all over Northern Illinois.

I am sorry to be a bore, and I promise this will be the last one for awhile.... but you really must see this show! The reviews from Stronger than a Bully, Mobile Ed Productions’ newest show are glowing with praise for Dave Mitchell. 

The summer is winding down, and although we have not yet seen Labor Day, there are already schools starting classes in some states, and getting ready to start in others. Like a big sleepy bear coming out of hibernation, the world of education is stirring again, and with that awakening comes a realization in many places that the school assemblies have not been scheduled for the coming year yet.

Finding the right school assembly or enrichment program for your school can be tough. There are a lot of performers, acts and companies from which to choose. How do you know which is best for your needs? How do you know who is professional and who is not, who is talented and who is not, who will meet your needs and budget, and who will not?

Issues of Character have become an important part of the education of our children all over the country. Several years ago an initiative was launched to develop good character in children through the Inspector Iwannano program. This drive features the philosophy that there are different pillars of character such as Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Citizenship, and Fairness. Not a bad package of virtues, to be sure.

We have been back in the Chicago area this week with Sky Dome Planetarium, our portable planetarium school assembly, presented in schools there by the exceptional Rojo. He just appeared at a school in Joliet, Illinois, and judging by the reaction I think they liked him!

Get the news out! As of this week, Mobile Ed is now accepting orders for school assemblies for Chicago schools for the 2011-2012 school year.

Travel is a regular part of the life of a school assembly performer. Professional presenters of school assemblies are regularly “on the road”, and these "road warriors" often rack up huge amounts of miles during the course of a normal school year. One presenter of ours who does not usually travel as often or as far, is our wonderful “Dr Exhaustus” himself, Jeff Hoge. Jeff is resident in Chicago and regularly performs in schools all around northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, with his own program on the environment, “Our Changing Climate” as well as with our creative writing school assembly program “Young Authors Day”. In addition, during the winter, Jeff handles our Living Lincoln assembly program.

Schools searching online for elementary school assembly ideas will no doubt be struck eventually by the fact that of the many companies and performers offering science assemblies and other types of educational school assembly programs, a very large number are based in Michigan and other parts of the Midwest.

Just a quick reminder for those who missed last weeks announcements...