New Poetry Prize Aims to Honor, Promote Creativity in Youths
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2011/11/start_with_line_of_poetry.html
Arthur Rimbaud, the 19th-century French poet, was apparently still a teenager when he produced some of his best known works. A new poetry prize announced today aims to spotlight a new generation of young talent, with the idea that these high school poets will serve as "literary ambassadors" who encourage their peers to explore and develop their creative side.
Five outstanding high school poets will be chosen each year under the new program developed by a public-private alliance that includes the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
The award will go to students whose work demonstrates "exceptional creativity" and dedication to their craft, according to the announcement. The winners will receive a $5,000 academic award and be asked to promote the appreciation of poetry and the importance of creative expression through readings and workshops at libraries, museums, and schools.
"What you learn through reading and writing poetry will stay with you throughout your life," first lady Michelle Obama said in the press release. "It will spark your imagination and broaden your horizons and even help your performance in the classroom."
The National Student Poets Program is a collaboration of the White House advisory panel, as well as the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
The presidential panel in May issued a report that highlighted the potential the arts hold to bolster student engagement and academic achievement.
"As the data consistently shows, students who are engaged with the arts do better in school and life," said Rachel Goslins, the executive director of the presidential advisory panel. "We can think of no better way to demonstrate these benefits than by engaging a class of talented and promising students to work with their peers and lead by example."
The first batch of winners will be announced next summer and introduced at the Library of Congress' National Book Festival in September.
I am baffled by the way our leaders can speak from different vantage points, often in direct contradiction to each other. "Talking out of both sides of your face" is, I believe, the correct term. If only it were that they had only two sides they seem to speak from, but it is not, it is multiple, contradictory sides. Case in point, the Poetry Awards. The President's Council states clearly what the arts in schools can do for students (see final paragraph of post) and yet it are these artistic expressions which are being drowned out by high stakes testing focusing on a narrow band of skills. All I can do is shake my head in wonder and disgust at our leaders, in whom I have lost all faith.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, Dante!
ReplyDeleteThis article takes me back to my English class in high school, where we were required to write a poem on the happenings of 9/11. My teacher submitted the poems and I ended up winning an award (I think $250) and was asked to read my poem at a National Poem convention. Back then, school was less about the testing, and more about the skills. Sadly, I graduated only 7 years ago from high school and am seeing such huge change and most of it comes from our "leaders."
Isn't it the arts that most school districts try to get rid of first due to lack of funding? Now they want to promote the arts with money awards? Wouldn't it be nice if the money could be utilized in such a way that the districts could keep their programs and not have to go through all of this hoopla?
ReplyDeleteDante! I love your blog. It has useful and interesting articles for classroom content. Great job!
ReplyDeleteIt astounds me that cultural leaders have been writing about how the arts and cultural involvement significantly reduce crime in urban and low income areas for decades (ex. google Boston's 'Elma Lewis'). University studies and awards still go to initiatives that motivate expression through creativity (ex. google Jamaica's 'Container Project'). Yet, it's always the arts and culture that the 'budget keepers' say we need least...
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