School Visits

As a former teacher, I love being in the classroom. I began teaching in 1994 and have continued to work with children since that time. I’ve done programs with kids from Pre-K to graduating seniors, in locations from Syracuse to Stockholm. I tailor every program to meet the needs of the audience, taking into account the size of the group, ages of the participants, and curricula of the school.

Contact me via email to inquire about availability, program details, references, or anything else you might have questions about. I have some additional biographical information on the About Me page.

Fees & Other Logistics

  • Local Visits: $950 for full day; $600 for half day
  • Non-Local Visits: $950 per day plus travel expenses (transportation and lodging)
  • Virtual Visits: $575 per half day (2-3 presentations); $800 per full day (4-5 presentations)

More Info:

  • A half day includes 2 presentations and is limited to 3 hours at a school.
  • A full day includes 3-5 presentations (depending on length of each) over the course of a whole school day.
  • Local visits are within 50 miles of zip code 13346.
  • Presentation lengths vary between 30-60 minutes, depending on the age and needs of the audience.
  • Teachers and aides need to be present for presentations. This helps to ensure good behavior and allows for follow-up conversations and activities.  And please, please no cell phone use during presentations – it distracts me and the students.
  • Want to make sure you have a great school visit? Click here for some helpful tips!

2022-2023 Programs for School Visits

  • Amazing Animals
  • Making Nonfiction Fun
  • Let’s Go There! Regional/Country Workshops
  • Creating A Good Story – Fiction Writing
  • Food Around The Globe
  • Think Like A Fiction & Nonfiction Author
  • Having Fun with Science Writing
  • Writing Biographies

Want to know more? Click here for details on all the programs I offer.

Testimonials

Thank you to the students, librarians, teachers, and administrators who kindly shared their thoughts and opinions.
I appreciate your feedback so much.

Teacher/Librarian Testimonials:

September 2022

“Alicia Klepeis spent a week in Auburn, visiting all five elementary schools in our district. Students and staff alike agreed that she was one of our best visiting authors yet! Alicia presented to grades K-6, seamlessly adapting programs to her audience. She was also very flexible and willing to customize presentations based on each school’s needs. Alicia delighted and educated all with interesting facts about animals, stories of her worldly travels, and tips on how to become a better writer. She is friendly, genuine, easy-going, and fun. We were fortunate to have her! Kids are still asking for Alicia Klepeis books months later!”

Penny Pitman, Librarian
Casey Park Elementary School, Auburn, NY

November 2020

“We have had the pleasure of working with Alicia twice at my school ~ once live (pre-pandemic!), and once virtual – and both times the students and staff LOVED her programs!  Alicia has done an amazing job meeting the challenges of virtual presentations.  We worked with her to custom design 3 virtual programs at my school, one for K-1, one for grades 2-3, and one for grades 4-5.   She was incredibly interactive, and had the kids stop to do movement breaks and writing activities.  Teachers showed the presentation on their digital displays (SmartBoards & Promethean Boards) to in-person students, while remote learners logged in individually.  She is so professional and so fun – I highly recommend her!”

Linda Fecura, Librarian
Gardner Dickinson Elementary School, Wynantskill, NY

March 2018

“The whole school loved our week with Alicia Klepeis. She was warm, engaging and funny! Our teachers were really impressed with her ability to connect with every grade level in our building K-5 and how easily she moved from working with small groups to giving whole grade level (100+ students) presentations. She also did a great job of talking about the process of writing non-fiction and the research that goes into it. We’d invite her back for sure!”

Brendan Fallon, School Librarian
Ellicott Road Elementary School, Orchard Park, NY

Administrator Testimonials:

“Alicia visited our school and worked with our third, sixth, and seventh graders. Regardless of the grade-level or topic, Alicia will not disappoint. Not only did she command student interest through her introduction of food throughout the world, but her demeanor and energy were contagious! Her flexibility was most evident in her ability to command student attention/willingness to try diverse foods, following by switching gears and working with seventh grade students in the art of biography. She is a ‘must have’ in your arts in education program line-up!”

Dr. Thomas Reardon, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools
Wynantskill Union Free School District, Troy, NY

Student Comments:

“Thank you for taking time off to come and talk to us about your books. I can’t wait for all your new books to come out. When I grow up I want to be a lot of things, but now I can add writer to the top.” – Allie P.

“You taught me a truck load of stuff. You have a very cool career. You get to study different cultures and get to go to awesome places. My favorite thing I learned was that in order to succeed in the writing business, you need to revise and have patience.” – Dylan R.

“I liked when you said, ‘being an adult doesn’t have to be boring.’ Now I have a choice on what my career could be.” – Ben S.

“I think it’s cool that we do similar things in our classroom that you do as a writer. I think your career is awesome, because of all the opportunities you get.” — Juliana