It’s June, and that means two things:  summer vacation and Summer Reading!  If you and your family are in western Washington and a fan of magic, there are tons of opportunities to take in one my my magic shows.  I’m debuting my Dig into Magic Show with a blend of old favorites and brand-new routines.  (Photo above was taken at the Ape Caves near Mount Saint Helens.  A fun, highly recommended field trip!  In my library shows I’ll take the audience on a virtual tour of a cave via a “live” video link.)

Unless noted otherwise, all of these performances are free and open to the public. All are family friendly, with the library programs designed more for elementary-age kids.

• Saturday, June 15 at 7:00 pm: Key Peninsula Civic Center Variety Show (Jeff Evans and Alex Zerbe; $15 adults, $7 kids)
• Monday, June 17 at 2:00 pm: Northeast Library (Seattle Public Library)
• Tuesday, June 18 at 4:00 pm: Freeland Library (Sno-Isle Library System)
• Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00 pm: Clinton Library (at Clinton Hall, Sno-Isle Library System)
• Thursday, June 20 at 11:00 am: Chehalis Timberland Library
• Thursday, June 20th at 2:00 pm: Winlock Timberland Library
• Friday, June 21 at 11:00 am: Wheelock Library (Tacoma Public Library)
• Friday, June 21 at 3:00 pm: Swasey Library (Tacoma Public Library)
• Saturday, June 22 at 11:00 am: Main Tacoma Public Library
• Saturday, June 22 at 3:00 pm: Mukilteo Library (Sno-Isle Library System)
• Sunday, June 23 at 2:00 pm: Queen Anne Library (Seattle Public Library)
• Monday, June 24 at 3:00 pm: Rainier Beach Library (Seattle Public Library)
• Tuesday, June 25 at 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm: Federal Way Regional Library (KCLS)
• Wednesday, June 26 at 6:30 pm: Columbia Library (Seattle Public Library)
• Thursday, June 27 at 1:00 pm: Enumclaw Library (KCLS)
• Thursday, June 27 at 4:00 pm: Maple Valley Library (KCLS)
• Thursday, June 27 at 7:00 pm: Auburn Library (KCLS)
• Friday, June 28 at 4:00 and 6:00 pm: Taste of Tacoma at Point Defiance
• Saturday, June 29 at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm: Pridefest (Seattle)
• Sunday, June 30 at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm: Taste of Tacoma at Point Defiance

Please say hi if you are able to attend one of the shows! And, if you’re not already, feel free to connect with me on Facebook for show photos and updates.  Have a question about a location/time/or show?  Post your comment here, or e-mail me direct at jeff[at]edumazement.com.

Fundraising and assemblies have a bit of a symbiotic relationship:  you need to raise money to host an assembly, and using an assembly as an incentive can help make fundraisers more successful.  Thompson Elementary in the Spanaway – Tacoma area hosted a hugely successful fundraiser with Kal from World’s Finest Chocolate.  The school was offered to receive one of my assembly programs at half price if they met their fundraising goal.  Well, they crushed it!  Most schools with their number of students sell about $20,000 worth of chocolate bars.  They sold over $40,000!

VIP Treatment

Top selling students (those who sold three or more boxes) were excused to the gym early for prime front-row seating.  I chose from these rows when I needed volunteers. Afterwards, each of these top sellers – sixty of them! – received an autographed poster from me and had their photo taken with me.

Hats off to Shannon, Tacia, and the Thompson PTA who did a phenomenal job.  And, to principal Mr. Honig who receives the “Mr. School Spirit of the Year” award.  Kids got to decorate his hair and his clothes for the day (check out the photos below).

This was really a win-win-win event.  Kids received free chocolate and some earned additional prizes along with enjoying an awesome magic show.  The PTA earned a LOT of money that they can return to their students as they see fit.  And, someone got to eat a lot of chocolate.  What’s not to like about that?

No, there weren’t the traditional cheap plastic toys that other fundraising companies give away.  (And there are some really flashy prizes!)  I hope that my motivational-magic assembly will live on in their minds and memories much longer than a pen that lights up will.

If you’re in western Washington and looking to do something similar, contact either Kal or Travis with World’s Finest Chocolate.  They run a top-notch program and work with schools and other organizations looking to raise funds.  They can even customize the bar wrappers for you.  Tell ‘em Jeff Evans sent you.

This marks the first year since I’ve been exhibiting at the Washington State PTA convention that it hasn’t been held at the SeaTac Doubletree Hotel.  And, I feel like the change was good.  From a vendor’s standpoint, it was nice not having to pay union rates for services like electricity.  On the negative side:  the $25 parking fee.

Fundraising companies make up the largest proportion of exhibitors.  This is good, because schools desperately need ways to make money as state and district money has long dried up.  At the same time, there is a dearth of assembly presenters.  This is for a couple of reasons; first, schools host fewer assemblies now than they did when I was growing up.  Due to requirements to “teach to the MSP” and meet state and national standards, administrators hesitate to take time out of class for extracurricular items like assemblies.  The two exceptions to this rule are Veteran’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, where, I believe, public schools are required to hold an assembly program.

However, think back to when you were a kid in elementary school:  can you remember any school assemblies?  Bet you can!  I remember when Magic Charlie of the Globetrotters visited my elementary school, and did the most outrageous demonstrations of trick and fancy dribbling, ball handling, and ball spinning.  This was over three decades ago, and I can still vividly recall some of the things he did.

So, can assemblies have a long lasting impression?  Absolutely!  And, teachers tell me how my Science Magic assembly encourages more students to participate in the science fair, etc.  In some cases, the motivation or inspiration from an assembly can be a life-changing event for a student.

If you weren’t at the convention, you can meet me – and many other great school assembly performers – at the 5th annual Washington School Assembly Showcase on October 6, 2013 at the Tacoma LaQuinta Hotel.  The Assembly Showcase is the only event in the state that specializes in bringing together the best school presenters and family entertainers with those looking to book programs.

To learn more about the motivational-magic assemblies that my business partner Rick Anderson and I present, visit www.edumazement.com, send e-mail to jeff[at]edumazement.com, or call me toll-free in Olympia at (877) 412-5064.

And yes, we’ll be back at the Washington State PTA convention next year!

Thanks Ellen and the Cedar Way PTO for sponsoring my two shows yesterday.  Whenever possible, I really recommend having an afternoon assembly to precede a Family Night show.  Giving kids a chance to see my show during the day virtually guarantees a full house in the evening, and this was no exception.

“We have never had so many people attend one of our Family Enrichment Nights!  I think doing the assembly during the day really boosted our attendance in the evening.  The kids obviously loved your performance!  My four-year-old and my 10-year-old both loved it!… In fact, he said his friends think I am a cool Mom because I brought you to the school.  Thanks again.  I am so glad we had you come.”
-Shelly Smith, Cedar Valley P. T. A.

I presented my Science Magic assembly during the day and returned in the evening with my just-for-fun program.  (Schools:  when you book two programs on the same day, the second program is at a nearly 40% discount off the first-show rate.  And of course, you’re welcome to charge admission, sell refreshments, sell raffle tickets, etc. to offset the cost of the extra show.)

Check out the School Assembly Handbook for more ways to help make your Family Night show pay for itself.  Scroll down to page 7 for some good ideas.

Learn more about my evening Family Night Magic Show online or call me toll-free (877) 412-5064 or send e-mail to jeff[at]edumazement.com.

Everett Christian School is a K-8 private school.  Upper grade students choose a question they want to answer using the scientific method.  One had the headline, “Which gender is more organized, boys or girls?”  Yes, that one had a predictable conclusion supported by a measurable chart of boys vs. girls as they “organized” a messy desk space.  “But no volcanoes”, a teacher told me.  “We want them to ask a question, make a hypothesis, and conduct experiments that can be numerically measured and a conclusion drawn.”  I love volcanoes as much as the next 5th grader, but I understand his point!

I set up several of my Science Magic Workshop tables so students got to try a number of center of mass, air pressure, topological puzzles, optical illusions, and more.

To learn more about bringing a school science fair assembly or workshop to your school in Washington state, call toll-free (877) 412-5064 or send e-mail to jeff[at]edumazement.com.

Science Magic for Rock Creek Elementary in Maple Valley

The Tahoma School District has had me present my Science Magic assembly for their Extended Enrichment Program for the past three consecutive years.  These photos are from my most recent visit to Rock Creek Elementary in Maple Valley.

Learn more about my Science Magic program online or send e-mail to jeff[at]edumazement.com or call me in Olympia toll-free (877) 412-5064.

A huge thank-you to Amanda with the Clearwater Valley Elementary PTSA in Kooskia, Idaho.  She single-handedly coordinated my assembly programs at her school as well as neighboring Kamiah Elementary and Middle School and Grangeville Elementary for Science Magic school assemblies last week.  To wrap it all up, I performed my evening Amazement Magic Show that families from all three schools were invited to attend.  It’s hard getting a single school to decide on a time for an assembly, so getting three schools on board is an even bigger challenge.  Amanda did it all in just a couple of days!

The Clearwater Valley PTSA also came up with a neat fundraising idea that I’d never thought of for the evening show.  One of their PTSA families brought in their rabbit.  I provided my top hat, magic wand, and a slip-on tuxedo to transform kids into “instant magicians.”  Kids paid $5/person after the show for a photo with me and the bunny rabbit as they “pulled a rabbit out of a hat.”  (Actually, the bunny wanted to escape, so the trick was holding him in the hat, but letting him peek out enough for the photo!)

Block-booking and getting multiple schools to coordinate to have the same program on the same/consecutive days is the only way to make little tours like this happen.  If you’re outside of western Washington/Oregon but would like to arrange a visit, talk with me.  I’m happy to help make it easy to spread the word to neighboring schools.  My show is flight-friendly (although I am limited to taking one show with me by plane; i.e., Science Magic, not the Family Night program also.).

To learn more, call me in Olympia toll-free (877) 412-5064, e-mail me, or visit my website for more details about my motivational school assembly programs.

It’s so nice when schools are able to coordinate to host assemblies on same/consecutive days.  I just visited Garfield, Roosevelt, and Ridgeview Elementary Schools in Yakima, WA.   Here are a few photos from the trip.

Learn more about my bully prevention school assembly online, e-mail me, or call me toll-free (877) 412-5064.

Once I was addicted to magic, books were THE way to learn more.  There were no DVDs, VHS tapes, and certainly no YouTube.  So, I went to the library and proceeded to check out and devour every magic book I could find.

When, as a sophomore in high school, I decided that I was ready to begin my career, I offered to do a free show for the local Lacey Timberland Library.  The children’s librarians, Bob Stalder and Nancy Shutz, accepted my offer.  I had no idea that my brief performances as part of their Summer Reading Program storytelling visits would launch what has become thousands of performances for libraries throughout the Pacific Northwest. 

Fast forward to today, and I still love using the library.  (I have cards for the Timberland, Pierce County, and King County Library Systems, and if I root around believe I have a Seattle Public Library card.)  Just today I was listening to a book on CD while I was driving in my car.  (I turned my car into a “rolling university” a long time ago.)  Even though I know I pay property taxes for the library, I still sometimes feel like I’m getting something for “free” when I check out materials.

Books inform.  They educate.  They reveal new worlds and possibilities you never imagined existed.  And, just knowing that these things exist is often all you need to make it a reality for yourself.  When I perform my Reading Magic program for schools, I try and share some of this wonder and appreciation of books with the kids.  (Of course, most of them have already experienced the magic of reading for themselves.)

Last week I visited schools in Ocean Park, Long Beach, and Naselle, Washington with my Reading Magic assembly.  All programs were sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Timberland Regional Library system. The book I’m holding in the “READ” poster above is one of my all-time favorites:  Mark Wilson’s Course in Magic.  My grandparents gave me this book when I was about thirteen years old.  I can’t tell you how many hours I spent reading, practicing, and performing routines from this book.

Add to my previous list of features that books are timeless.  The same books we read today can be enjoyed by others hundreds of years in the future.

Tomorrow evening I’m performing Reading Magic for Lydia Hawk Elementary in Lacey.  It is part of their Community Access Night focus on literacy and reading.  If you are involved with an elementary school and are looking for a great motivational reading assembly, contact me in Olympia toll-free (877) 412-5064 or send e-mail to jeff[at]edumazement.com.

The kids loved you today!!!  Great to hear fifth graders say they wish all assemblies were like that.
-Gretchen Salter, teacher, Coe Elementary

Science Magic was a hit at Coe Elementary in Seattle.  Coe is a fairly recently remodeled school in the Queen Anne neighborhood.  It’s a rare 3-story elementary school, and its architecture is very impressive.

Whether you’re looking for a fun way to get your students excited to participate in the school science fair or just as a way to show kids that learning is fun.  Learn more about my Science Magic assembly programs online, or call me in Olympia toll-free (877) 412-5064 or send e-mail to jeff[at]edumazement.com.