Your Name and Title

Amy Bradley, Innovation Leadership Program Resident

Library, School, or Organization Name

Los Angeles Public Library

Co-Presenter Name(s)

None

Area of the World from Which You Will Present

Los Angeles, CA

Language in Which You Will Present

English

Target Audience(s)

LIS students, YA librarians

Short Session Description

How-to tips for running successful poetry programming by partnering with poets, educators & non-profits

Full Session Description
Poetry is a way for teens to express themselves and explore identity, and can be a lot of fun when presented in relevant ways they can meaningfully connect with. For teen boys in particular, poetry workshops are one of the few places in which it’s socially acceptable for them to explore their feelings. Additionally, research shows that learning through the arts can help level the playing field for youth from disadvantaged communities--they are more likely to receive better grades, stay in school longer and have fewer behavioral problems than peers who are not.

This spring I directed a successful poetry program for socio-economically disadvantaged teens in Northeast Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Public Library. I worked with leading Angeleno poets, local teachers and non-profits to offer poetry workshops, author readings, a teen poetry reading and publish a chapbook that was added to the library’s collection. Social media as a key part of the program.  

This session will outline what I did, and provide tips for librarians interested in hosting teen or tween poetry programs themselves.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session

http://www.facebook.com/SayWhatPoetry