Chris Espinosa XYZ is an arts integrated teaching artist, improv-storyteller, and author. He uses improv comedy to sharpen creativity, develop critical thinking skills, and inspire students to write a narrative, an expository, or a script—and perform it. Espinosa has written two books and trained with an original member of The Groundlings (an LA improv group). He founded, directed, wrote for, and performed in improv/sketch comedy troupes. He also created an afterschool drama club for a school with no preexisting drama program and traveled as an improv-storyteller for a live cotton-tail bunny and a robot dog.

Chris Espinosa XYZ’s arts-integrated workshops and residencies motivate students (even reluctant students) to write in-class assignments and for “The State Writing Test.” He has implemented more than 100 residencies (2,000+ classroom hours) and helped thousands of elementary and middle school students to conquer the blank page and write. Many of the schools that hosted his program experienced higher test scores on state mandated writing tests. His lessons, based on state curriculum standards, focus on ideas, voice, and word choice; he adapts his program to support the writing methods in each classroom. In addition to language arts, Espinosa has a residency for social studies and is developing one for science. Students take center stage to create exciting and unforgettable moments using only their imaginations.