Upcoming Events
STEMIE Fest at University of North Carolina
November 9-10, 2026, 12:00 - 4:00 PM EST (online)
This free, bi-annual virtual conference attracts early childhood practitioners, early intervention providers, institutions of higher education (IHE) faculty, and families in helping young children with and without disabilities engage in and benefit from STEM learning. This year's theme is Noticing the Thinking: Building Early STEM Programs that Inspire Lifelong Curiosity.
STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMIE) Center aims to:
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Expand the body of knowledge of implementing evidence-informed practices for early STEM learning.
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Provide a continuum of technical assistance to improve knowledge awareness, acquisition, and implementation of inclusive STEM practices.
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Engage partners from diverse disciplines and industries in work to increase the inclusion of young children with disabilities in high-quality STEM learning experiences.
Pipeline Playwrights, New Women's Voices: Works in Progress
November 14 & 15, 2026, 2:00 PM EST
Theatre on the Run, Arlington VA
Join us for a weekend of in-person readings of four new plays by emerging women playwrights in the DMV! November 14 & 15, 2026.
Curtain time 2pm each day at Theatre on the Run in Arlington, VA.
Schedule of Readings
Saturday, November 14
(Donation) Pile by Caroline Woodson
Sunday, November 15
In the City by Jacquel Tomlin
Finding Humor by Amy Hansen
That Gloria Gaynor Song by Caron Anton
Past Events
Book Talk: Seeing Differently -
A New Way to Look at Science
February 3, 2026, 7:00 PM EST (online)
The DC Science Writers Association invites Amy Hansen and James Riordan to talk about their books, how they came upon their insightful viewpoints (and how they sold them to a publisher!), and what's next for each author.
Charm City Books, Author Visit
March 2, 2026, 6:30 PM at Friends School, Baltimore
As part of a monthlong celebration of Women’s History Month, Charm City Books, Friends School and Shananigans Toy Shop are honored to celebrate Díaz-Merced’s “unbeatable determination” with author Amy S. Hansen, who collaborated on the non-fiction picture book, Wanda Hears the Stars, to inspire children to follow their curiosity no matter the challenges. As Díaz-Merced urges, “Never give up!”
Author
Visit
Turning the Page, Author Visit
March 4, 2026 at Nalle Elementary School
Amy reads Wanda Hears the Stars to families and engages students in a literacy- or art-related activity. Following the presentation, Amy speaks separately to parents about their writing inspirations and aspirations, strategies for reaching a reluctant reader at home, and the author’s writing and publishing process. By the end of the night, authors personally sign books for families.
Amy & Wanda Go to Luxembourg!
March 18 - 20, 2026 (times and locations TBD)
Further details to come!
Frederick Public Library Reading
March 26, 2026, 4 PM EST, C. Burr Artz Public Library
Head to downtown Frederick for an author reading of Wanda Hears the Stars, sponsored by the Curious Iguana Bookstore.
NCTE Author Panel
November 21, 2025, National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference in Denver, CO
Panel title: Using Historical & Informational Picture Books Across Grade Levels to Spark Dreams
Writing (mostly) nonfiction with kids
Summers 2015-2019
Over the past few summers I taught writing at our local Creative Kids Camp and we put out a newspaper. Each day I met with different camp groups, ages five through 13, for about 50 minutes at a time. They wrote. They questioned. They drew amazing cartoons. And all of us laughed. This is definitely something to do again.
Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council Work In Progress grant
Spring 2012
Amy and illustrator Lucy Dirksen received a Work In Progress grant from Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council. We read from stories and asked students to think about what they heard and draw the characters.