Keith Deltano has served and worked with youth for many years in various roles, including as a military police officer, public school teacher, youth leader, private counselor, and educational comedian. He draws on this varied background to reach out and share with youth. Keith taught sixth grade and is a winner of the Teaching Excellence Award.He has been listed in Who’s Who of America’s Teachers and Outstanding Young Men of America. His parent workbook, Fighting Back, has been well received.

What is “Labels Lie” about?

Keith challenges the youth and adults in the audience to seriously contemplate how they view one another.  This show is great if you are having problems with cliques, racism, bullying, or staff infighting.  Keith tells the true story of how he judged a fellow soldier during Army Airborne training.  The audience will roll with laughter as he acts out the story.  They will also learn how a wonderful friendship was formed after Keith changed his prejudiced attitudes.  Labels Lie is about acceptance, making new friends by reaching out, and encouraging the audience to stop judging one another by outward appearance, speech, or economic status.

What about online bullying?

Physical, verbal and online bullying all have the same root causes and manifestations. Keith addresses online bullying by exposing the causes of all bullying and prejudice behaviors.  He also talks about the legal ramifications of on and offline bullying. The audience will understand that bullying can be interpreted as “threatening” or “violent” behavior even if physical contact is not made.

What about parent outreach?

Keith has performed parent workshops on bullying and online safety throughout the US.  His workshops can be custom tailored to whatever is happening in your community.  However, Keith feels that no workshop is complete without teaching parents how to protect their children form online porn and gambling as well as bullying.  Most parents are simply not aware of what is “online” and the activities that children are engaged in online.  The tools and strategies Keith will teach parents to use to prevent online bullying will also be used to prevent online porn and gambling addiction.

What about the kids with “educational” labels?

Keith stayed back in the third grade because he could not read…and he could hardly read the second time through.  He was given every label in the book; ADD, ADHD, dyslexic, dysgraphic, and his personal favorite, minimally cerebrally retarded.  He struggled through school and spent a lot of time in “special” classes and “special” programs.  Keith over came the professional labels as well as the taunting that comes with “staying back” and special programming and went on to make Deans’ list in college.  As a result of his experiences, Keith has a heart for the audiences most speakers avoid.  He wants to talk to the kids in juvenile detention, alternative schools or tracks, or any other group of students that doesn’t fit in because they do not learn “like everybody else”.  Keith has a presentation that only they will understand that he does not present to the general school audience.  He doesn’t have a name for this show because it is different every time he does it and it’s more like a conversation.  If you have such a group in mind, please include them in his tour.  He is comfortable with “special needs” kids…he was one.  Actually…he still does not fit in.

How is the Show Different in September and October?

The beginning of the school year offers a unique window.  The students get new lockers, new classes, new teachers…it is a time of change.  It is also a great time to change attitudes.  Students are more open to behavioral change at the beginning of the year than any other time of the school year.  This is not to say that school culture can not be changed or addressed in the spring, it’s just harder.  When Keith is performing his show in schools during September and October, he modifies the show in order to take advantage of the fact that it is the beginning of a new school year and as such, a great time to change behaviors and attitudes.  Students want to have a “better year than last year”…they just don’t know how.