Sara Shaw, a college professor with a background in improv and writing, offers several different workshops for businesses and colleges geared toward motivation, confidence, and saying "yes." Her main two programs:
In Mirror Mirror, Sara leads an interactive body image acceptance workshop. This is particularly successful with college women; Sara draws from her own, deeply personal experience to connect with students on the subject.
In Trust Fall, Sara joins with fellow improviser Jennie Adams to leads improv comedy exercises that help people get comfortable with accepting ideas - and saying "yes" - while also providing laughs and exercises staffs can use going forward.
Sara's program is a unique and personal approach to discussing issues of body image and eating disorders. She was immediately engaging, and from the start subtly set the stage for an open dialog with the audience about a very sensitive topic. Telling her personal story allowed our students to "put a face" to what is sometimes a nebulous and inappropriately glamorized concept. Sara also did a wonderful job of balancing her personal story with timely research and information. Students remarked that her willingness to answer *any* question was part of what made this session so meaningful. This is a must-have program for any campus!
Sara did an amazing job talking about a difficult subject - body image - with our Central Penn College students. She shared her own experiences in a very down-to-earth, personable way that I believe really resonated with our students. She was someone they could identify with. I would definitely recommend booking Sara at your school or campus!
The tone and materials were completely appropriately for the audience, and the honesty and practicality of the speaker were overwhelming appreciated.
Sara did an awesome job presenting to the college's students and really keeping them engaged in the conversation. Eating disorders and body image/self-esteem are not easy topics to talk about, but Sara did amazingly and really kept the discussion lively and interesting.
Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 60 - 180 minutes
Sara provides an interactive workshop experience wherever she goes. Because of her improv background, she's quick on her feet and loves being in front of a group, which makes everyone feel more comfortable and willing to participate.
The workshops offer ample opportunity to ask questions and try new things, while Sara also intertwines her personal experiences into the teachable moments to make it more powerful. Multimedia is used for some programs.
Sara Shaw grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, and earned her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University. She followed that with a Master’s degree in Creative Writing Nonfiction from Goucher College.
She has been working with high school and college students for the past eight years, first in Admissions at Penn State University, and then in Student Life/ Multicultural Programs at Harrisburg Area Community College. She now teaches English and a course introducing freshmen to the college experience.
Sara has presented at high schools, colleges, and conferences throughout the region, and her presentation, Images of the Self: Sexual Identity & Expression in Pop Culture (2011), at the PALOMA (Pennsylvania Association of Liaisons and Officers of Multicultural Affairs) Social Justice retreat received particularly high accolades. She been involved in public speaking for over a decade, as well as professional and local theatre.
Sara has performed theatre professionally in the area and has taken improv workshops with the Washington Improv Theatre and Philly Improv Theater, Peoples Improv Theater in New York and Baltimore Improv Group.
In 2010, Sara co-founded the Oxymorons, a short-form improv comedy troupe that now performs all over the mid-Atlantic at colleges, clubs and festivals. The Oxymorons are regular performers at Magooby's Joke House near Baltimore.
In 2011, Sara co-founded a second troupe, No Artificial Sweeteners. The all-female troupe performs improv shows for charity and has raised considerable money for various causes.
Sara teaches improv workshops and has performed at the prestigious Baltimore Improv Festival and at DuoFest improv festival in Philadelphia.
Sara currently resides in York, Pennsylvania with her husband, two cockapoos, and her absolutely adorable infant. When she’s not performing, she loves to travel, do yoga, and post photos of her baby (because of the aforementioned adorableness).
New York City, NY 
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