Educators Invited!
Strong Museum of Play’s Dungeons & Dragons Exhibit Opening Weekend
($5.00 off admission!)
Meet educators from Empire University, New York Public Library, Geneva Library and engage in panel discussions about the importance of Dungeons & Dragons in the world of education. Certificates of participation will be provided for CTLE credit.
September 21st at 11:30am – Paychex Theater
Get Ready to Roll: Accessible Structures to Support D&D in Libraries and Schools
Are you an educator, librarian, or gamer trying to start a Dungeons and Dragons club? In this interactive session, a group of expert game masters (GMs) will share tips and tricks for starting up role-playing campaigns that are inclusive of all gamers. After a brief panel discussion, the GM presenters will provide audience members with a breadth of facilitation resources that engage gamers of diverse abilities and needs. Some topics to be discussed include: establishing in-game consent, supporting disabled and/or neurodivergent players, and practical solutions to storytelling roadblocks. Session participants will be invited to play, create, and practice implementing the ready-to-use resources covered in the session. Get ready to roll!
September 21st at 2:00pm – Paychex Theater
Leveling Up Critical Storytelling: Using RPGs to Reimagine the Real World
Role-playing games (RPGs) can be escapist activities that remove us from the social, political, and ideological realities of the real-world. However, imagined game worlds can also be critical spaces where gamers can reimagine the conditions of everyday life in ways that dream toward justice-oriented futures. In this interactive session, a group of panelists will explain how they use RPGs to reimagine societal structures that contribute to social, economic, and political inequity. Then, session attendees will be invited to consider approaches to worldbuilding that center themes of peace, humanization, equity, and inclusion.
Karis Jones (Ph.D.) is Assistant Professor of English Language Arts Education in the Education Division for the School for Graduate Studies at Empire State University. As a teacher educator, literacy consultant, public humanities scholar, and community activist, she studies issues of equitable literacies learning across disciplinary, fandom, and gaming spaces.
Alex Kohn is a Senior Young Adult Library at The New York Public Library's flagship Teen Center located in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library Branch. They have a degree in Theater and History, with a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science with a focus in Youth Services. A passionate book lover and DND player/DM, Alex aims to bring that passion to the world of working with youth and young adults.
Robert Lamb is the Geneva Public Library’s Game Master. He has been facilitating role-playing adventures in professional and informal capacities since 2013. Robert prioritizes laughter, critical thinking, and entertainment in his storytelling practices.
Robin Lange-Fazio (M.S.Ed) has been teaching Elementary and Middle School ELA for 13 years in New York City. She is an advocate for integrating creative gameplay in education with a focus on building literacy, storytelling, and writing skills. Robin is also the host of Tabletop Gold, an actual play podcast utilizing the Pathfinder 2e gaming system, where she continues to explore the intersection of gaming and storytelling.
