SCHOOL PROGRAMS
3 WAYS TO BRING THE WORD TO YOUR SCHOOL
Arts education is an essential tool for educational reform in New Haven. We believe that increasing students' access to the arts through The Word will dramatically improve their educational outcomes, as consistently borne out by research, and that training teachers on integrating arts into the curriculum will extend these gains to students who may not even be directly involved with the program.
AFTER SCHOOL RESIDENCES
Teaching Artists help a group of self-selected student poets and rappers hone their writing and performance skills in after-school workshops. There is 1 after school program held at The Neighborhood Music School on Thursdays, called Writing Liberation Workshop. There is a new afterschool program being offered with the Stetson Library branch beginning in the 2023-24 school year.
INTRO TO THE WORD POP UP EVENTS
Teaching Artists lead a one-time introduction to spoken word during or after school, focusing on igniting student passion for poetry through a performance, writing prompt, conversation, and information about ways to get involved.
IN-SCHOOOL RESIDENCES
Teaching Artists teach an existing class of students to critique, write and perform poetry, spoken word, or hip-hop. Teaching Artists collaborate with the classroom teacher to connect student writing to existing curriculum, to prepare students for events they can perform in throughout the year such as Citywide jams and Youth Slams. The TA will help students become more confident writers, discuss Social Justice topics, advocacy, developing their own voices and using Spoken Word as a method of raising their voices. This work is always then connected back to the classroom curriculum and the links between the two are woven together. The TA will also help teachers adapt the Teaching Artists’ lessons for their own use if requested. The number of sessions varies based on school requests/ preferences.
Clips from Pop Up events
"Ja-Sun and Dyme spent six wonderful Wednesdays in my Short Fiction & Poetry class at Common Ground High School. The result? A powerful gift of voice and agency for my mostly introverted group, who felt willing and eager to share- and show- their words, their vulnerabilities, and their joys. Ja-Sun and Dyme were present with their insistence that every single voice does matter. "
In School Workshops
