LaVerne Amponsah
Storytelling Artist, Author, Workshop Facilitator, Educational Consultant
mlamponsah@gmail.com
LaVerne acquired the joy of storytelling as a child. She grew up hearing the stories of African Americans, Native Americans, the tales of the haunted houses in Savannah, GA, as well as the stories told in the Native Gullah language and its direct relationship to Africa. She has a profound passion and calling to reach, teach, inspire, motivate, transform and entertain people through the oral tradition of storytelling. She includes songs, instruments, poetry and movement in her presentations.

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LaVerne is a former educator and holds a B.A. and an M.A. Degree in Education. She has been utilizing her storytelling techniques in her classroom for over 20 years. In an effort to be an effective teacher, she quickly realized that her storytelling wit captivated the interest and attention of her students. Whether she was teaching history or just telling funny stories, she found that students of all ages enjoy the historical tradition of storytelling. Students were always mesmerized and totally focused by her excitement, high-energy and dramatization of the stories told. She was more than delighted to embrace the opportunity to transition from the classroom into the community and the world. LaVerne considers this transition a wonderful opportunity to reach a larger audience of people of all ages, races and nationalities. She enjoys telling all types of stories and has performed in a vast array of venues such as schools, churches, homeless shelters, malls, nursing homes, performing arts centers and libraries.

Performances and Projects

• Black History Month—Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
• Historical Portraits – Roswell Visitors Center
• “Mama Tales”—Auburn Avenue Research Library
• Community Night—The Friends School of Atlanta
• Women’s Homeless Shelter—Zion Hill CDC Housing
• National Black Arts Festival (KUUMBA in the Community)
• “Golden Living” Nursing Home, Tucker, Georgia
• “My People” Theatrical Production, West End Performing Arts Center
• Home Schooling End of the Year Festival, Decatur Public Library
• The Sudan and A/A Oral Storytelling Project – Clarkston, Georgia

Workshops

Storytelling Anti-Bullying Workshop
Preparing Students for the GA Milestone Test though Storytelling
The Science of Healing Through Storytelling
Immigrant Parents Storytelling Workshop

Professional Membership Affiliations

KUUMBA Storytellers of GA
NABS—National Association of Black Storytellers, 
Sisters on the Journey—A Ministry of Caring, Sharing and Empowering

Publications

Sisters on the Journey—(Songs, Stories, Transformations)