The month of April marked the 20th anniversary of National Poetry Month and the continuation of a year of service from the 2015 class of National Student Poets.
Last year, Chasity Hale, De’John Hardges, Eileen Huang, Anna Lance, and David Xiang were inducted into the National Student Poets Program (NSPP) – the nation’s highest honor for youth poets (grades 10-11) presenting original work – presented by The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
Continuing their year as poetry ambassadors, the students spent the month of April (National Poetry Month), promoting their passion for poetry across the country. Below are the student’s reflections on their experiences and the lessons they learned.
David Xiang, a senior from Little Rock, AK, has used his time as a National Student Poet to work with veterans and to spark his peers’ interest in poetry. During National Poetry Month, David presented at the Norman Veterans Center with Jason Poudrier and led creative writing workshops at Cache High School, Lawton High School and MacArthur High School in Oklahoma. While touring through Oklahoma, he was recognized by the Oklahoma Sate Senate at the State Capitol, toured the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and met with the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Arts Council. David’s experience has pushed him to adapt to change and think on his feet:
“The biggest thing I learned was that my poetry can actually help others, and that I don't need to be shy or reserved about sharing my work, or sharing my passion of poetry with others. Being a National Student Poet means a lot of big, big things, but during my tenure I've learned to try to value the little things. Whether it is being able to talk about poetry with a group of high school students, a group of five-year-old kids, or veterans, every experience has been invaluable to me in not only helping me become a better writer, but also in helping me reflect on who I am, and who I don't want to be.”
De’John Hardges, a junior from Cleveland, OH, has been taking his poetry to the next level by adding rhythm to his rhymes. Throughout the month of April, you could find De’John at the Cleveland Center Library and Collinwood High School teaching hip-hop and poetry workshops. Over 4 weeks, he hosted a series of five workshops that included hip-hop history, sonnets and hip-hop, haikus, and performance. De’John has been lucky to impact kids in his community:
“I’ve had the opportunity to inspire youth to express themselves and open up to writing. These little kids were being challenged with a new complex topic, but they engaged it like a lifelong friend. They are the true definition of impressive.”
Eileen Huang, a sophomore from Holmdel, NJ, went from poetry amateur to aficionado in the matter of minutes. She was invited to do a TEDx talk and most recently has been invited to present her original work at the 14th Annual Poetry & the Creative Mind Gala at the Lincoln Center in New York. While touring through New Hampshire for National Poetry Month, she was a guest on NHPR’s Word of Mouth Public Radio show & Podcast, was interviewed by ConVal High School’s student publication, The Link, led a teen poetry reading and workshop Keene Public Library, and visited Hopkinton High School, Bow High School, and Waldorf High School.
Eileen is learning the true meaning of outreach:
“Realistically, it’s that you can’t expect everyone to want to be the next Allen Ginsberg. Don’t be disappointed if participants in a workshop are reluctant to share their poetry, or if they share a completely non-serious poem just to get out of writing it. Ultimately, the goal of your poetry and literary outreach is just that — outreach. The point isn’t to hone everyone’s skills until they are ready to write the next Great American Novel, but to encourage them to immerse themselves in poetry and, most importantly, get something of value to themselves out of it.”
Anna Lance, a senior from Anchorage, AK, has been creating poetry before she could even actually write. Her 'first poem' was scribbled hieroglyphs on construction paper at age three and then translated aloud for her mom. While in Montana for National Poetry Month, Anna attended poetry workshops and Second Wind Readings by University of Montana graduate students, met the members of the Missoula Writing Collaborative, and was interviewed by the award-winning Aerie Big Sky and Aerie International Literary magazines. She also did readings at Broadwater Elementary, Bench Elementary, and with Arlee 7th Graders on the Flathead Reservation of the Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Most recently, Anna attended Celebration of the Arts – An Open House to Showcase Student Work hosted by Arts Without Boundaries at Billings Public Library. Anna has been conquering her fears and leading workshops:
“Share your passion! I know not everyone struggles with this, but a huge roadblock for me has been opening up completely about my love for poetry and the way it's led me to where I am today. People want to hear your story, though, and telling it helps them connect with you and engage actively with your work. You deserve to be vocal about the reason you've gotten here!The most challenging experience I've had so far has been getting over the initial anxiety of leading my first workshops. Seventh graders are scary! However, all I could do was forge ahead, and the workshops ended up being a really incredible experience!”
Chasity Hale, a junior from Miami, FL, has been the recipient of the Scholastic Art & Writing Award national gold medal, two gold keys, and six silver keys. She also won first place in the Sarah Mook poetry contest and has been published by Creative Communications, Susquehanna University, and the Young American Poetry Digest. For National Poetry Month, Chasity led poetry and writing workshops throughout Savannah, GA at Savannah Arts Academy, Alfred E. Beach High School, Charles Ellis Montessori, Esther F. Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. Most recently, Chasity presented her original poetry at O, Miami, Miami’s largest poetry event. Six months into her ambassadorship, Chasity has some advice for the next class:
“At first, the idea of community outreach seems so large. I was unsure of where to start or what resources were available to me in my region. I began connecting with people and organizations in my city who were already working with poetry and found that a creative world of inspiring and passionate poetry-lovers existed all across Miami. My advice for the next class would be to utilize what’s already available to you. Seek out the organizations and programs in your hometown that have already expressed an interest in poetry and see how you can be a part of that.”
National Poetry Month marked an important milestone in the 2015 National Student Poets year of service. Through each of their engagements, they touched those in their communities and helped to share their passion for poetry. As they continue as poetry ambassadors, they will keep focusing on this important outreach.
