Conference Schedule

This conference is designed for storytellers and professionals who use storytelling in their vocation or avocation—teachers, ministers, counselors, librarians, business leaders, and community educators.

Our three-track system (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) allows participants to select sessions that best support their goals.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2026

9:00 – 9:30 AM | Virtual Tech Time
Technical support for attendees and presenters to ensure smooth Zoom transitions

9:30 – 10:00 AM | Morning Coffee & Community Social
Hosted informal networking in the main room

10:00 – 10:15 AM | Opening Remarks
Welcome from the President of the Tejas Storytelling Association

10:15 – 11:15 AM | Opening Keynote: DeCee Cornish
“So, You Want To Be A Storyteller” – A riveting keynote about the stories that shape our identify, guide our values, and knit communities together. DeCee invites teachers, leaders, and storytellers to embrace narrative as a bridge between hearts and generations. He believes in the power of stories and asks, “So, you want to be a storyteller?”

11:15 – 11:45 AM | Transition to breakout rooms

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM | SESSION 1

  • Beginner: Finding Your Story Spark – Hank Roubicek
  • Intermediate: Collaborative Storytelling – Stephen Schwartz & Viveca Deans
  • Advanced: Brain Candy! Games for Storytelling – Vivian Rutherford

12:45 – 1:45 PM | Lunch Break

1:45 PM – 2:45 PM | SESSION 2

  • Beginner: Basic Story Structure – Tony Hardman
  • Intermediate: Biblical Storytelling – Kathy Culmer
  • Advanced: Bilingual Storytelling – Barbara Bridgewater

2:45 – 3:15 PM | Transition & Networking Break

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | SESSION 3

  • Beginner: Voice, Gesture & Presence – Fran Stallings
  • Intermediate: Healing Stories as Tools for Processing Trauma, Pain, and Grief – Warren Hollerman
  • Advanced: Storyteller Studio – Bernadette Nason

4:15 – 5:00 PM | Social Mixer
A lively session discussing the lessons of the day. A chance for debriefing, sharing and reviewing what we’ve learned.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2026

8:00 – 8:30 AM | Virtual Tech Check – preparation for morning presenters

8:30 – 9:00 AM | Morning Coffee & Community Social – networking in the main room

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | SESSION 4

  • Beginner: Personal Storytelling – Tony Hardman
  • Intermediate: Audience Adaptability – Valerie Kimble
  • Advanced: The Business of Storytelling – Donna Ingham

10:00 – 10:30 AM | Transition to breakout rooms

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM | SESSION 5

  • Beginner: Using Props and Puppets – Pam Pipkin
  • Intermediate: Seeing in the Darkness: Finding Story, Strength, and Purpose Though Adversity º Gladys Morales
  • Advanced: African Storytelling & Drum – Ronald Carter

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Transition to breakout rooms

12:00 – 1:00 PM | SESSION 6

  • Beginner: The Art of Improvisation – Nelda Tone
  • Intermediate: Workshop Performance & Coaching – Hank Roubicek
  • Advanced: Storyteller Studio with DeCee – DeCee Cornish

1:00 – 2:00 PM | Lunch Break (offline)

2:00 – 3:00 PM | Closing Keynote: Bernadette Nason

3:00 – 4:00 PM | TSA Awards, Door Prizes, Closing Remarks, and Networking Social