workshopThere is a great gap…

…in access to the arts in San Diego, and Poetic Youth programs address this problem. By providing free poetry and writing workshops to under-served youth communities, Poetic Youth bridges this gap in access and creates a larger community through poetry and the arts.

Building a bridge to transformation…

Poetic Youth programming includes basic writing workshops, which focus on self-expression, imagination and character development. While it may be cliché to say that writing empowers the writer, it’s Poetic Youth’s position that having one’s voice heard, one’s words read with attention and care, can be a transformative experience.

Poetic Youth provides a number of services…

…through writing and poetry workshops led by SDSU graduate and undergraduate students. Workshops include:
• Access to an established literary publication, Poetry International
• Free reading and writing materials such as journals, notebooks and pens
• Small, personal workshop groups to ensure strong interpersonal guidance
• Opportunities to share student work in a warm and inviting environment
• AND Poetic Youth programs align with Common Core curricula at the K-12 levels

Poetic Youth programming provides free access…

…to SDSU undergraduate, graduate and faculty members, offering a level of expertise to the under-served communities in San Diego that no other local writing service matches. Poetry is a participatory art, not an observational one. The workshop-focused ethos of Poetic Youth programming fosters interpersonal relationships between the Poetic Youth mentors and students. It is our hope that these relationships will endure and inspire each participant and youth community we reach.

Inspiration

Poetic Youth aims to inspire San Diego’s youth communities, but all workshops are open to anyone interested in the workshops practicing writing, art and self-reflection.

The Team

Poetic Youth was founded by SDSU graduate students in collaboration with Ilya Kaminsky and Jenny Minniti-Shippey, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor for Poetry International, respectively.