School & Author Presentations

I’d love to present at your school, library or organization. I’m passionate about what I’ve learned, through my writing and life experiences, and love engaging students and attendees in my presentations. I understand the importance of meeting curriculum standards and making my visit the best for your students, or exceeding your expectations as an organization.

The following are several programs I offer, but know that I custom-create every presentation for your school/library/organization.

Everyone’s Life is a Story (all ages) Students learn how I discover interesting facts about my subjects and weave them into compelling stories. Students are encouraged to unravel and reveal the mysteries within their subject’s lives.

Heroes are all around us (all ages) I encourage students to consider the heroes who live among us, and why their roles and lives are important. We explore important elements in a hero’s journey and sharing their stories.

The Tale of Three Writers: Millie, Virginia and Christine (Grades 3-12)

Mildred “Millie” Wirt Benson was the original ghostwriter of the Nancy Drew series. Virginia Hamilton was the most honored author of children’s literature, ever. Christine Brennan is the USA Today sports columnist, television commentator, author, and speaker. Discover what all three have in common, their inspirations and the story behind sharing their life journeys.

Missing Millie Benson (Grades 1-8)

Discover the mysteries behind Mildred “Millie” Wirt Benson, the original ghostwriter of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. Learn about Millie’s early and college years, and how her life intersected with that of Edward Stratemeyer, the creator of the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins series. Julie pulls back the curtain to reveal the story behind the popular stories, and the woman who first wrote them.

Before Her Time: The life of Virginia Hamilton (Grades 3-12)

Virginia Hamilton was born and raised in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Discover how this young African American writer became one of the most celebrated authors of children’s literature.

Seeing Eye to Eye with Christine Brennan (Grades 3-12)

Audiences will learn how Christine’s love of sports was nurtured from an early age, how she developed her natural journalistic instincts to break many stories, and ultimately became the voice of justice in the world of sports.

Moving Forward Gracefully (Grades 6-adult)

Julie shares the tragic loss of her ten-year-old daughter, Claire and moving forward joyfully in her grief journey. Discover one mother’s path in honoring her daughter gone too soon and validating the relationships with her amazing husband and two children. Be prepared to laugh and cry! Tissues provided.

All I need for a presentation is a laptop/projector/screen, lapel or hand-held microphone, small table for materials and plenty of water. I love working lunches too, but note I’m gluten-free. And I love dark chocolate!

Please contact me via the contact form to learn about my honorarium and making arrangements to visit your school. I hope we can work together for a fun and educational experience for all.

Family and Inspirational Presentations

Family Presentation (60 Minutes)

History, Herstory, Yourstory!

Millie Benson’s, Virginia Hamilton’s and Christine Brennan’s stories are shared with general audiences. Fun activity involves writing what is important about your story!

Motivational Presentation (45 minutes)

I share my love and loss of my daughter, Claire and creation of Claire’s Day.

Honorarium

My fee is based upon location of presentation and number of presentations. A typical school day visit includes up to 4 presentations to students. I offer a discount to schools within a three hour radius of Toledo, Ohio. Evening presentation fee varies according to location and group.

Email me for more details.

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Our students had the privilege of hearing Julie speak as a visiting author. Our student body is K-8, which can present a challenge in finding content for one presentation to appeal to the wide range of ages. Julie was able to offer multiple presentations, each tailored to the age range of students in attendance.  Julie was very organized and a pleasure to work with. She offered an engaging presentation that she even fit to our Hero theme for Right to Read Week!”

Julie is very approachable. She freely shared her story and had great insights about how encouraging children to read has great impacts on their ability to write, research and learn in general.”

Julie’s presentation captivated students and adults alike. It was not only engaging, but taught great life lessons. It is hard to catch students’ attention without screen time these days, and sh caught their attention from the start and kept if for an hour!!”


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