Cindy Beer-Fouhy

Cindy Beer-Fouhy
Crompond, NY, USA
Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Creative Non-Fiction
English
K-12 Schools, Adult Day Care, After School Program, Assisted Living, College/University, Community Center, Hospital, Independent Living, Library
ArtsWestchester Teaching Artist, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Arts in Education, New York City Writers Project, Judge for National Jewish Book Awards (Poetry), Consultant for Manhattanville's Master of Arts in Writing Program (2005 - 2011), Hudson Valley Writers Center

Antonia Arts, Inc. (readings) Hudson Valley Writers Center (readings, advisory committee) Northern Westchester Center for the Arts (teacher and feature readings) Greenburgh Town Hall, 2011 (readings) Werner Library –75th Anniversary Celebration (readings) Neuberger Museum – Nature and Man – Celebration of Cleve Gray (readings) Publications: Let the Poets Speak, Greenburgh Arts and Culture, 2011 (3rd Place Award) Bronx Accent, Rutgers University Press, 2000 ArtNews (Westchester Arts Council’s Newsletter) The Rosewell Literary Review, 1997 Poetry Motel, 1996

COUNTY HOUSE SENIOR FACILITY, YORKTOWN, NY Present: Writing Instructor: memoir, poetry, creative writing • Design and facilitate “Life Stories” interactive writing workshop for 12 senior adult residents. Genres include: poetry, journal, creative non-fiction and memoir writing. Create book of their writing and to present to Drum Hill Library at a reading at Drum Hill. • One 8 week/ 1 ½ hour session. DRUM HILL SENIOR FACILITY, PEEKSKILL, NY 9/2011 – Present: Writing Instructor: memoir, poetry, creative writing • Design and facilitate “Life Stories” interactive writing workshop for 12 senior adult residents. Genres include: poetry, journal, creative non-fiction and memoir writing. Create book of their writing and to present to Drum Hill Library at a reading at Drum Hill. • Two 8 week/ 1 ½ hour sessions due to success and popularity of program. CROTON/ CORTLANDT CENTER FOR THE ARTS 7/2011- Writing Teacher “What if” Creative Writing Workshop for Children: Art Inspired Writing • Teach creative writing (ages 6 – 11) inspired by their paper Mache animals created in classroom • Stories included detailed descriptions of character’s home, special powers and adventures ANTONIA ARTS, PEEKSKILL, NY 4/2008 – Present: Writing Teacher: Poetry in Motion, Creative Writing for children • Create a poetry writing workshop for ages 6 – 12 and work with students to create and choreograph dance movements for production at Paramount Center for the Arts • Establish and teach poetry writing workshop for children during National Poetry Month MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE MASTER OF ARTS IN WRITING PROGRAM, PURCHASE 2005 – 2011 - Consultant for Literary Series and Annual Summer Writers Week • Work with Director of MAW Program to help expand audience participation for literary series and workshops through publicity and recommendations for visiting poets and writers (based on experience at NWCA (below)) NORTHERN WESTCHESTER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, MT. KISCO, NEW YORK 6/95 – 8/2005 Founder/ Director, Literary Arts Department Responsibilities and Accomplishments:  Create and develop curriculum and teach writing workshops for ages 6 through adult  Facilitate Writers Process Workshop for teachers  Hire and supervise staff of teachers to conduct writing and literature classes  Teach creative writing to middle and HS students at Soundview Preparatory School  Produce and develop weekly poetry series for professional poets and community writers funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and the Bydale Foundation  Design community literary outreach programs and promote community relations: Bedford Central School District StoryFest, Literally Speaking; Chappaqua Library, Mt. Kisco Library  Develop curriculum for International Multi arts Camp, Fox Lane Middle School Campus
When I consider all the personal experiences, education and people who influenced my philosophy of teaching, I realize that my initial experience as a learner, a student in grade school had a significant impact on my approach to teaching. As a result of both positive and negative experiences, I developed a strong sensitivity to paying attention to the individual needs and concerns of my students. Through open discussions and simple writing projects, I encourage students to share their ideas and to support each others' writing efforts. It’s important that individuals connect with other people and feel an important part of the whole group. When I created the Literary Arts Department at the Northern Westchester Center for the Arts in 1995, my goal was to make available to the community a wide range of literature and writing programs that would be accessible and engage people from diverse cultures, educational backgrounds and financial status’s in a common bond of sharing ideas through writing. I was successful in providing an atmosphere of camaraderie, encouragement and support. My most recent experience has been the most fulfilling. I began teaching at Drum Hill Senior Facility. The weekly writing workshop includes twelve residents between the ages 76 and 97. Although they began a bit uncertain that they could write or had anything worth writing, after 9 weeks, they are have written and shared stories about their lives, their fears, their childhoods and have gained a sense of pride in their writing abilities and the importance of sharing their words with others. Providing writing workshops that promote dignity and joy for our elder community is the direction I would like to continue taking as a teacher.