School assembly speaker · New York
Anti-bullying assembliesfor schools in New York.
Samuel Picou brings Finding Your Purpose — a music-driven assembly on bullying, identity, confidence, and purpose — to elementary, middle, and high schools across New York: Albany, New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and everywhere in between.
Featured on & performed at
- NBC’s The VoiceFeatured on · Season 5
- The Hollywood ReporterFeatured in
- NAAFKeynote speaker
- SXSWPerformed at

Why New York schools book Samuel
A speaker students actually listen to.
Diagnosed with alopecia as a child and bullied for looking different, Samuel sang on NBC’s The Voice at sixteen and keynoted the National Alopecia Areata Foundation conference the same year. Students don’t hear a lecture — they hear a story they recognize.
- Your differences can become your strengths.
- Speaking up for someone else changes everything.
- Setbacks don’t decide your future — your response does.
- Assembly length
- 45–60 minutes (customizable)
- Grade levels
- PreK–12, tailored by age
- Audience
- Up to 1,000 students per session
- Setup
- 20–30 min · own mic, connects to house PA
Serving New York
Districts & communities
Samuel works with public, private, and charter schools of every size. In New York that includes districts such as:
- New York City Public Schools
- Buffalo Public Schools
- Rochester City School District
- Yonkers Public Schools
Finding Your Purpose supports the bullying-prevention requirements New York schools follow under Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), and fits kindness weeks, PBIS, SEL and character-education programs.
Travel
Direct flights from LAX to JFK, Newark and LaGuardia.
School assemblies can be booked directly here or through Academic Entertainment.
Hi [Principal / PTA President name], I wanted to share a school assembly I think our students would really benefit from. It's called Finding Your Purpose, by speaker Samuel Picou. It's a 45–60 minute, music-driven anti-bullying assembly for PreK–12 that helps students think about identity, confidence, kindness, and their future. Samuel grew up with alopecia and was bullied for looking different — and at 16 he sang on NBC's The Voice. He turns that story into a message kids actually remember. Details, a trailer, and booking info are here: https://samuelpicou.com/finding-your-purpose Schools can also book through Academic Entertainment: https://academicentertainment.com/finding-your-purpose Would you be open to looking into it for [kindness week / back-to-school / Red Ribbon Week]? Thank you for everything you do for our kids, [Your name] Parent of [child's name], [grade]
FAQ
Questions from New York schools
Does Samuel travel to New York?
Yes. Direct flights from LAX to JFK, Newark and LaGuardia. Travel is quoted up front, and Samuel often books two or three schools in the same area on one trip to keep the cost per school down.
What does a school in New York need to provide?
A gym, cafeteria, or auditorium and access to your sound system. Samuel brings his own wireless headset microphone and connects directly to your house PA. Setup takes 20–30 minutes.
What grades is Finding Your Purpose designed for?
The program is tailored for PreK through 12th grade — elementary, middle, and high school. Language, pacing, and interaction are adjusted for each age group, so schools can book separate sessions for different grades on the same day.
What does the school need to provide?
A gym, cafeteria, or auditorium and access to your house sound system. Samuel travels with his own wireless headset microphone and can connect directly to your PA. A detailed technical datasheet is available on request.
Is the program faith-based?
No. Finding Your Purpose is designed for public, private, and charter schools and is not a religious presentation.
Schools in New York