For eleven years, the Mariposa County Arts Council has been sharing their featured storytellers, from the Mariposa Storytelling Festival, with schools in Mariposa County and additional schools in neighboring communities.  Although the Storytelling Festival is primarily for adults, the wonderful world of storytelling also meets all state educational standards in Language Arts for California.  Surprisingly, storytelling is able to spark imaginations in students without the need of batteries, a computer screen or electricity!

     During the week of March 12—16, 2007, nationally recognized storytellers, Willy Claflin, Donald Davis and Marilyn McPhie stayed over to share their marvelous stories with every school in Mariposa County and additional schools in Ahwahnee, Oakhurst, Coarsegold, Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Reedley and Hanford.  Festival Producer/Director, Marilyn Rudzik, coordinated this educational experience for students in our rural communities, and her Storytelling Festival Committee members brought each teller to participating schools.  A total of 7,537 students from pre-school to high school experienced this ancient art form of the spoken word retelling the stories that they heard and singing story songs for days after the assemblies were over.  The Mariposa County Arts Council hopes someone has told you a great story recently!  To coordinate a preformance at your school in 2008, contact the Mariposa County Arts Council at (209) 966-3155.