Donna Willingham
Donna Willingham’s journey in becoming a Storyteller began when she was a Children’s Librarian working for Cleveland Public Library, Hough Branch. By planning and conducting Story Hour for children pre-school – early elementary, and planning and conducting summer and after-school activities for children of all ages, Ms. Willingham was unknowingly utilizing the cultural purpose of storytelling – teaching. By combining reading and writing with activities, youth were exposed to literacy in a way that was engaging and educational.
Through age-appropriate stories, Ms. Willingham uses storytelling as a means for highlighting and illustrating morals, offering encouragement, and stimulating imaginative thinking. And though formally trained through workshops and mentorships, Ms. Willingham credits the children of the Hough area for developing her storytelling style, which is a blend of facial expression, body movement, hand gestures, and vocal intonation. Stories shared are usually African and African-American folktales, but stories from other cultures are shared as well. Programming is suitable for a variety of venues, such as schools (classroom or auditorium), Day Cares, libraries, and Recreational Centers.
Ms. Willingham holds a B.A. in Speech and Hearing, A.A.S. in Sign Language Interpreting, M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, and MLIS Master of Library Science and Information Technology.
CAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BADGES EARNED
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