Spellbinders Annual Meeting
Saturday, May 2, 2026
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cherie Karo Schwartz
Keynote : “Mirror and Memory: Let the Story Tell You”
Highlands Ranch Senior Center
200 E. Highlands Ranch Pkwy
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
Cherie Karo Schwartz was the first long-term Spellbinders trainer, working with Germaine Dietsch to create and develop Spellbinders and their training materials for decades. She is a Storyteller, Author and Educator, sharing worldwide stories, sacred stories, personal tales and original stories, teaching and training across the country and abroad for all occasions and ages.
Cherie will have copies of her book Circle Spinning: Jewish Turning and Returning Tales available for purchase for $15 at the event. (this is a discounted price just for Spellbinders!) Cash or check only, please.
Registration for the 2026 annual meeting is now closed.
Tickets are still available for the Story Concert the evening of May 2nd in the same venue offered by Rocky Mountain Storytellers
Scroll down to learn more or purchase tickets.
Coffee, tea and snacks will be available
Plan to CARPOOL! There are limited parking spaces available in the main parking lot. There is overflow parking in the west lot and the church lot nearby, but it is a hike to get to the main entrance
Please Bring:
- Your own refillable water bottle (water refill station available)
- Paper and writing utensil to take notes
- Cash or check if you wish to purchase one of Cherie’s books for $15.00
Rocky Mountain Storytelling will offer a storytelling concert at the same venue, 6:00 p.m.- 8 p.m. that evening and a master class the next day. Click on the links below for more information and to purchase tickets.
Spellbinders Storytellers are in the News and around town!
High Prairie Storytellers will be at the Volunteer Fair at
Northridge Rec Center, Thursday, April 23rd from 4pm – 7pm
8800 S. Broadway
Highlands Ranch, CO
Come show your support and bring a friend!
View our quick reference guide to help you find what you need — stories, links, lists, notes for leaders and trainers, and more.
Oral storytelling is good for kids, teachers, and our volunteers. And it’s good for your local community!
Find out how having a Spellbinders Trained Storyteller in your classroom enhances literacy and supports your curriculum.
Discover the Joys of Storytelling!
Our storytelling program brings together young and old to create connections, advance literacy, and enrich the lives of children and volunteers alike. Donate a few hours and ignite children’s imaginations in a school near you.
“Telling stories as a Spellbinder volunteer gives me more fun than any human has a right to have.”
— Karen Hurst
“You’ll never have more fun and you will never, ever experience as special of a reward as having a group of fourth graders smile and clap when you tell a good story. It is very rewarding.”
— Patrick McCarthy
What Educators Say About Spellbinders
“(Our Spellbinders Trained Storyteller) was simply wonderful. Her ease of addressing children was immediately apparent and her storytelling was mesmerizing. The fact that it went along with stories or history we were already discussing in class really added to the enjoyment. I loved having the kids turn to me wide-eyed, knowing they were making connections.”
— Teacher from Broomfield
“Thank you for visiting our class. The art of storytelling is so important to these little ones. To be good writers and readers they need to understand the structure of a story. Oral language and auditory processing are so crucial at their developmental level also. We talked about your story after you left and they were amazing with their retell and recall.”
– Basalt Elementary School Teacher
“I wanted to take a moment to thank you and your colleagues for the magic you help create by bringing together these incredible storytellers. Stories are truly at the heart of learning, and we are all so fortunate to have Spellbinders giving this incredible creative opportunity to children.”
– Cynthia Stevenson (Former Superintendent of Jeffco Public Schools)
2023-2024 Spellbinders Outcomes
Spellbinders volunteer storytellers are making an impact in their local communities, connecting with students in classrooms, older adults living in retirement communities, as well as all ages of story lovers in local libraries, parks, and other venues!
Spellbinders and Storytelling Support Healthy Aging
Results of Spellbinders Healthy Aging Survey: 2020-2021 School Year
The Spellbinders National Organization and Spellbinders Licensed Local Storytelling groups offer and promote activities that play a key role in healthy aging for seniors. Our organization and services are well positioned to work with seniors to enhance their well-being in several areas, including: expanding social interaction and personal relationships, community involvement and mental activity, and enhancing a perception of meaningful purpose.
