PEDAGOGY
We believe that the life of the students serves as the primary text for our introductory writing workshops. In this way, we work to draw out the stories of the students before engaging in assigned readings. We have found that as students cultivate and apply their voices they are better equipped to draw enriching parallels between their personal narratives and those of Ernest Hemingway, Richard Wright, Toni Morrison and so on.
PROCESS
Youth Speaks offers four levels of residencies for high schools and middle schools.These standards-based residences are facilitated by trained Youth Speaks Poet Mentors, who partner with teachers to bring high-level creative writing and performance poetry workshops into the classroom.Curricula is often developed in partnership with classroom teachers, and is designed to help students bring their own personal narratives into dialogue with the issues and themes already being studied in the classroom.
SCHEDULE
Youth Speaks School Residencies are available during the school day and in the after-school hours.
This year, Youth Speaks is offering workshops designed specifically for middle and high school campuses. These workshops, which are meant to both compliment academic rigor and encourage artistic creativity, run 90 minutes in length, one day a week for ten weeks.
LEVELS
Youth Speaks School Residencies come in four levels of depth:
LEVEL 4
35-50 hours
10 weeks // In-Class + SLAM club + After School Workshop
Poet-Mentor-in-Residence includes the following:
- 1 School Visit featuring an assembly with Youth Speaks and a one-time workshop
- 1 Final Presentation featuring residency students (culminating performance, publication)
- 1 School Club** featuring 5 hours of leadership development and school club meetings
- 1 School-Wide After School Workshop (90-minute workshops, 10 weeks)
- 15- 30* classroom hours of Youth Speaks instruction
- Representation and participation in the Unified School District High School Poetry Slam (Fall and Winter Semesters only)
* Direct service hours may vary depending on individual school schedule.
** The school club is a group of self selected youth at each host school who are interested in participating in after school workshops and organizing a project at their school as part of the Student Led Arts Movement (S.L.A.M.) initiative. The Poet Mentor, in collaboration with a teacher advisor at the school, engage the students in leadership development so that the club continues after the residency.
All LEVEL 4 host teachers are provided with subsidized tickets to bring students to one Youth Speaks event during the year and are asked to support the school club and After School Workshop on their campus.
LEVEL 3
20-35 hours
10 weeks :: In-Class + School Club
Poet-Mentor-in-Residence includes the following:
- 1 School Visit
- 1 Final Presentation featuring residency students
- 1 School Club
- 20 classroom hours of Youth Speaks instruction
- Representation and participation in the Unified School District High School Poetry Slam (Fall and Winter Semesters only)
*Direct service hours may vary depending on individual school schedule.
All LEVEL 3 host teachers are provided with subsidized tickets to bring students to one Youth Speaks event during the year, and are asked to support the school club on their campus.
LEVEL 2
20 hours
10 Weeks :: After School + School Club
Poet-Mentor-in-Residence includes the following:
- 1 School-Wide Assembly
- 1 School Club
- 1 School-Wide After School Workshop (90-minute workshops, 10 weeks)
- Representation and participation in the Unified School District High School Poetry Slam (Fall and Winter Semesters only)
All LEVEL 2 host teachers are provided with subsidized tickets to bring students to one Youth Speaks event during the year, and are asked to support the school club and After-School Workshop on their school’s campus.
LEVEL 1
5 hours
Middle School Only
5 weeks :: In-Class
Poet-Mentor-in-Residence includes the following:
- 1 School Visit
- 1 school performance featuring students
- 4 classroom workshops (over 4 weeks)
This program, specifically designed for middle schools, helps introduce students to the power of poetry and spoken word. All LEVEL 1 host teachers are provided with subsidized tickets to bring students to one Youth Speaks event during the year.
REQUEST A RESIDENCY
Request a Youth Speaks Residency in your school by filling out this form.
Please contact Michelle Lee at mlee@youthspeaks.org, (415) 255-9035×15 for further information.
