If “free” pretty well sums up your budget then don’t despair! Surprisingly, there are numerous options for finding free programs, depending on your area.
Hospitals sometimes provide programs on, say, Bike Safety, or maybe Healthy Nutrition. It doesn't hurt to check around your area. Local police may have a Dare program or may be willing to arrange a session around their canine unit. Local retired experts in various fields can sometimes be drafted. In some places NASA offers an outreach program. And Ronald McDonald has free programs that are quite good I am told. So check around and you may be surprised what you find.
There is something out there for every budget. I have seen some great programs that were very inexpensive, and others that were far more costly than they were worth (some that were not worth anything at all, unfortunately). Generally speaking, however, you get what you pay for!
Start with a budget. How much do you have available to spend? From large to tiny, your budget is the first thing you need to know. Oh, and as you make your plans, try to leave a little in reserve. Why? Because every now and then a really great opportunity will fall into your lap. A performer traveling through the area will have a sudden cancelation and need to fill a date and they may be willing to work for next to nothing. These things do happen and if a good opportunity comes your way you will want to be able to take advantage of it.
Regardless, your budget must be the first step, because it will completely determine whether or not you can even begin looking for the programs that you want.
Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where "Education Through Entertainment" has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed's THE LIVING LINCOLN. He also spent ten years coordinating assembly programs for the elementary school where his own children went to school.