A) School Assembly Presentations (grades 5-12)

INSIGHT ON ANDY’S SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES 

Andy can adjust all school assemblies to between 40 to 75 minutes in length. He prefers 60 minutes. He can perform up to 4 assemblies back to back in order to accommodate large schools or small venues!

Audience sizes have varied from 60 to 2500! Theatres, gyms, students sitting in bleachers, on the floor … he has done it all since 1992! The key for a successful assembly is A QUALITY SOUND SYSTEM!

This presentation has been used at school assemblies as part of spirit weeks, anti-drinking and drug campaigns, teen issue awareness days, career days, yearbook sales promotions, and at hundreds of general student body assemblies for any month during the school year.

 All of Andy’s presentations reflect his joy at speaking to North America’s schools. Since 1993 an average of 110 schools a year have had him visit! As Andy says in the opening of his speech, “I love to make people laugh … I love to make people think!” 

Assembly Option #1: “Get Your Hand UP”
                                 - Participate in class, in school, in life!  

Ask Questions! Answer Questions! Try Your Best! Volunteer and get involved in school activities! Take advantage of your time in school to LEARN and have FUN!

This powerful & hilarious keynote will entertain and inspire your students by encouraging them to bring back their grade two enthusiasm and "get your hand up". What stops youth after grade 5 from getting their “hand up”? The fear of failing! In the speech Andy encourages students to overcome the fear of failing. He uses the funny yet emotional story of how he was cut from his high school football team on the second day of grade nine. (Andy was 6 foot, 118 pounds in grade nine. His number enemy … the wind!)  Failing so early in grade 9 affected him for over a year! In grade 10 he didn’t bother to try out again because he feared getting cut again. His story ends positively as Andy beats the fear of failure and starts getting more involved later in high school.  

What is “getting your hand up”? Andy empowers your youth with four key lessons. In the classroom, the first point challenges students to answer questions. Wrong answers in class get you closer to right answers! Secondly, ask questions, because there is no such thing as a “stupid” question. Two great questions are “I need help, can I get help?” and “How can I do better?”  Third, try your best. This means to always get an 85% in showing up to class (no skipping), on time, get it done (do your homework), with a good attitude. Four, in school and life, get your hand up to volunteer and get involved in all of the great activities that being a teen offers you! 

The overall moral of this message is to remind students to "take advantage of your time in school to both learn and have fun!" Students and student leaders love the presentation because it offers excellent insights they can use while providing comedy and stories they can relate too. Teachers and administrators love the program because Andy powerfully stresses the importance of working hard in class and how that translates into success after school.  

Assembly Option #2 "Share Your Care " – Care in class, in school, in life! 

School spirit is caring; so let yourself be a contagious carrier! Care is a word that freaks out some young people. They think it means they have to be a loud, crazy, hugging type school spirit fanatic. No! Care comes in so many forms: being attentive in class, going to the play, attending the dance or bringing in a can for the food drive.  

Youth have no problem caring! Well, they love to care about the "stars" on their favourite teams or singing their favourite songs. Bring that care to school! For only a few years the "stars" of your school teams, events and stages share something incredible with you! They go to your school! They are your friends and schoolmates! "How are you going to care?" is Andy’s challenge to your students. Care about your friends, family and school the same way you care about multi-millionaires on your favourite bands and teams! 

Throughout the presentation Andy reminds your students the power of simple daily acts of caring. His top 3 examples of Caring: Show UP … to events, to practice, to work, to class! Participate … dress up for spirit days, cheer at a game, put your hand up in class. Listen … to the teacher, to your parents, to the boss, to your friends!

Why don’t some youth care at school? It’s because care comes with one large catch … it doesn’t work all of the time! A student can feel hurt when they cut from a team or play, laughed at in class, get a poor mark on an assignment, or gets dumped in a relationship. However, for every one time that care doesn’t work, it works 50 times!

What are the rewards of caring in school? 1. Its fun! In school, care enough to laugh, dance, cheer, try new activities, and encourage your friends in class … caring is such a blast! 2. Learning! Caring helps you get an education that prepares you for life after school. Every job, every dream you have, needs a person that cares enough to show up to work, on time, gets the work done, with a good attitude! 3. It changes the world! From food drives to raising money for cancer research, volunteering and fundraising takes your care and sends it all over the world to create positive change! 4. Friends, because caring people always have the deepest and closest friendships. People love to hang out with friends who care enough to listen, invite, and encourage. 5. Care creates memories that last a lifetime! Make sure your yearbook is full of events, groups, and friends that you cared enough to be a part of! Bluntly … Andy concludes that fun is a better memory than and it “sucked.”  “School is fun … now the rest is up to you …”

B) Student Leadership "Funshop":
"Making Care Contagious" 

“Care is contagious, but as a leader it must start with YOU! How do you get your care out there?” This session will answer that question! This workshop is an excellent follow-up to Andy’s assembly as it empowers leaders to continue with the message that he delivers to the student body. This one hour to two hour workshop (flexible to your schedule) offers youth leaders helpful insight on effectively communicating their care for the school to the students and staff. The presentation draw's on Andy’s years of experience as a student leader and as a speaker traveling the continent.  

NOTE: 90% of schools book the workshop with an assembly program. For a small additional fee, this workshop will give your leaders powerful leadership tools that they can use immediately! 

The "fun"shop is 60 to 90 minutes, depending on your schedule

The fee includes a copy of the workshop's guidebook to help you in your follow-up. The workshop is appropriate for 20 to 150 leaders from all of your school’s groups, councils, clubs and teams! The program can held over lunch, during class, or after school, depending on your needs.  

Are you looking for a leadership retreat program? Andy can create a 3 hour to 6 hour leadership program based on the “Making Care Contagious” workshop. Additional workshop topics include “Set SMART Goals”, “Let’s Talk – Effective Communication” and/or “Rallies that Rock, Assemblies that Amaze!” Contact Andy and he can create a special program for your school! 

THIS PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE AS A DVD & GUIDEBOOK. SEE BOOK & VIDEO ORDER FORM BUTTON ON THE UPPER LEFT OF THIS PAGE

C) School staff program:
"Moments of appreciation and motivation" 

Andy calls himself the teaching profession's #1 fan. This is because of the difference teachers have made in his life.  It also helps that he is married to a high school French teacher! This 30 to 60 minute program is an empowering reminder to your staff on the difference they make with youth.  It is hilarious, powerful, and thought provoking! Your school’s staff will leave refreshed to take on the challenges of teaching youth! 

D) Grade 12 Assembly or Graduation Presentation:
"Get Your Hand UP! Grads" 

This presentation is available after March break for your graduates. Andy has created a special “grads only” version of his “Get Your Hand UP” assembly. With examples from students who were bound for university, college or work, he uses powerful stories and hilarious comedy to inspire and entertain.  Andy reminds your graduates that Success is not about the stuff you buy, own and collect. He challenges them to share your care because "when you help others reach their dreams, you accomplish your dreams quicker!" Grads will feel empowered to take on the challenges of post-secondary school and work situations and how volunteering is so important to helping themselves and the world.

Andy also includes powerful insights about keeping the grad party safe and how to take care of each other. “Healthy Happiness” is a message he shares as he talks frankly about drinking, drugs, and avoiding dangerous situations.