Educators
As a teacher, former youth minister, and public librarian, Courtney is very comfortable making classroom visits, leading workshops, and communicating in assembly-style formats with students of all ages. If you would like to know more about Court visiting your school to speak, send an email Here.
Want to see part of your welcome kit? Click here: Behind the Scenes
She is also available for Professional Development sessions. Send an email if you’d like to hear more.
(If my prices are beyond your school’s budget, there are many ways to make a visit more affordable. You can partner with another school in your area and share travel expenses as well as classroom time or you can promise to purchase a certain number of books. If I can afford to visit your school, I would love to speak with your students.)
Librarian Links:
Small Town Budget, Big Time Author Visit with Courtney C. Stevens & Lindsey Kimery Anderson is a 45 minute crash course in planning/executing author visits. Teachers and librarians, we hope this serves as a gift of information that will fuel your passions and possibilities and ultimate increase the culture of reading in your school.
Posted by Courtney C Stevens on Sunday, August 20, 2017
Praise for DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS
“A poetic love letter to the complexities of teenage identity, and the frustrations of growing up in a place where everything fits in a box—except you.”
-David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite
“Courtney Stevens firmly reasserts herself as a master storyteller of young adult fiction; crafting stories bursting with humor, heart, and the deepest sort of empathy.”
-Jeff Zentner, 2017 Morris Award Winner for The Serpent King
“Courtney Stevens carries us into the best kind of mess: deep friendships, small town Southern gossip, unexpected garage art, and unfolding romantic identity.”
-Jaye Robin Brown, author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit
Praise for Courtney’s school visits
“It was a wonderful experience having Court at our school. She connected so naturally with the students and was an inspiration to all of us. It was really neat to watch how the students responded to her–they were completely engrossed in her presentation! She was extremely flexible with the different sessions and content throughout the day, and she even took the time to create a custom presentation for our students since they were working on an extended writing project. Court is a gem, and we would love to have her back to visit Central any time!” – Erin Alvarado, Media Specialist, Central Magnet High School, Murfreesboro, TN
“Court exceeded expectations! Her presentation was both informational and inspirational. It was the boost my class needed to push through our writing project.” – Cynthia Savage, Teacher, Central Magnet High School, Murfreesboro, TN
“Through exploration of her own past, Courtney Stevens raises engaging questions for adolescents. What do I want out of life? How can I reach for my dreams when they seem so far away? A charismatic and down-to-earth author and public speaker, Stevens captivates her audience through a mix of readings, multimedia, and storytelling. At the conclusion of her presentation our students felt motivated, uplifted, and hopeful about their future prospects. Her visit also ignited their desire to read for enjoyment, something desperately missing from our Common Core-driven curriculum. Ever since her visit, our students have engaged in impromptu classroom discussions about her book Faking Normal, and they eagerly look forward to reading more from her in the future.” ~Lisa Williams, NBCT, Allen County-Scottsville High School
We, at Ballard Memorial High School, were honored to have Courtney Stevens come home to Ballard County to debut her novel, Faking Normal. Courtney exceeded all of my expectations and did so much more than talk about her book. She spent the day inspiring our students and helping them to see that anything is possible if you dream, set goals, and “Channel your brave!” My students left her presentation feeling like anything was possible! Our whole community-students, faculty, parents and friends joined in celebrating Courtney’s success and were motivated to set lofty goals and work hard to attain them. – Kristin Sickling, Media Specialist, Ballard Memorial High School, LaCenter, Kentucky
“Courtney has the gift of connecting with young people while inspiring them to be their very best selves. I have never seen our students so riveted by a speaker before—everyone was completely engaged during her entire presentation. In the words of one of our students, “when she spoke, it felt more like a conversation with each and every person.” I loved the real world lessons about writing and following your dreams she imparted. Her visit was, hands down, the best author visit we have ever had!” – Brittany Butler, Librarian, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, KY
“Courtney didn’t come in to talk at us about her book, she came and talked with us about life experience, healing, and strength. She is definitely one of the most open and honest people I have ever had the honor to meet. She gave me a fresh wave of confidence in myself and the dreams I have chosen to pursue, in spite of the odds of success. She told us to dedicate ourselves to what we love, and never, for a second, question our ability to do the impossible.” – Laine Binnix, Class of 2014, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, KY