TEEN VOICES PROJECT FINAL REPORT

TEEN VOICES PROJECT

FINAL REPORT August 2016 Winona MN

What happens when a group of young poets are provided with the sorts of resources that are vital for adult writers: a peer community, comfortable space, inspiring mentors, intriguing

prompts, demanding editors…?

TeenVoicesFinalReport 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Project Synopsis 3 Project Assessment 6

Budget 8 Timeline 10

Initial Concept 14 Quotes from Registrations 15 Participant Demographics & Survey Results 16

Soundings: Forward & Blurbs 18 Soundings: Sample Poems 20

Book Launch: Program 28 Book Launch: Posters 29 Book Launch: Audience Survey 31

Photo Gallery 33


PROJECT SYNOPSIS 1. Development and planning Teen Voices began in the winter of 2015, during conversations about the absence of teen writers at Winona area author events and poetry performances. From the beginning, it was envisioned as a pilot program to provide artistic resources to area teens, including workshops, mentoring, feedback, and an opportunity to publish and perform their work. As a result, these young program participants were seen as likely to develop more intentional writing practices, increased self-confidence as writers, and new abilities to make artistic decisions and offer helpful feedback to their peers. As the concept gained traction among a group of writers, educators, and other interested community members, possible details were explored during a series of meetings and follow-up email discussion. Potential partners were identified, including the Book Shelf bookstore and the Winona Arts Center, and a tentative budget was developed. Four area writers volunteered to serve as the team of writer-educators who would implement and coordinate the program. Funding was secured during the spring and early summer of 2015, with a focus on skill development for young writers and teen artistic expression as a community asset. Over the summer, contacts were initiated with potential guest writers, and recruitment plans were tailored to each of the three cooperating high school programs. When area colleges resumed in the late summer, college-age mentors volunteers signed on and contributed valuable ideas. 2. Implementation Teen Voices was officially launched early in the new school year, with visits from the Teen Voices writer-educators to Winona Senior High School, Cotter High School, and the Winona Area Learning Center. Application forms were collected from cooperating teachers at each site, and about 30 high school students were notified of their acceptance into the project. Beginning in October, monthly workshops were held at an area coffeehouse, with refreshments partially provided by the grant. Each two-hour session included several types of arts learning, including presentation by one of the writer-educators or a guest writer, question-and-answer, and group discussion, as well as time for the teens to work on writing exercises and share their work-in-progress with their peers. Between October and April, five accomplished guest poets from the Twin Cities visited to share their work, lead writing activities, and offer feedback. After significant attrition during the fall, group membership stabilized at about twenty by December, and a relaxed sense of community began to replace initial signs of awkwardness and uncertainty. In between monthly meetings, project leaders communicated with teens and volunteer mentors via group and individual email as well as an online Teen Voices blog. Extra writing challenges and prompts were posted, and teens were


encouraged to share their work and receive feedback. Other poetry readings and slams in the community were also publicized. In January, 2016, teens and mentors were asked to polish several pieces of work to submit for publication in a paperback collection of poems from the project. Over the next several months, project leaders worked intensively with each contributor to select and make final revisions to the poems that would appear in the book. Despite the painful closing of his store that was going on at the time, Book Shelf owner Chris Livingston kept the process of book design and production on track, and Soundings was successfully published in late April. The collection features poems by 27 young poets, a beautiful cover image from local painter Julia Crozier, and enthusiastic back-cover blurbs from several of the project's guest writers. Meanwhile, Teen Voices participants looked forward to their culminating community performance in May by learning ways to engage with a listening audience and overcome the inevitable symptoms of "stage fright". By the time they took the stage for a capacity audience at the Winona Art Center on May 6th, each one was able to perform their poetry clearly and confidently. Friends, family, and community members in attendance responded warmly during the reading and stayed afterward to enjoy treats and conversation with the readers. Audience survey results confirmed positive responses from listeners, many of whom were new to hearing poetry performed and found the experience valuable and enjoyable. 3. Analysis Overall, Teen Voices was a tremendous success for the core group of teens who fully embraced the experience. Through pre/post-participation surveys and informal debriefing, these emerging writers spoke enthusiastically about how the program had fostered their artistic growth and development. They were inspired by guest writers, and liked the diversity of style and background represented in the lineup. Encouragement from college-age mentors and support from their peers contributed to their perception of themselves as creative artists producing valuable work, and they all plan to continue writing creatively in the future. As a pilot program, Teen Voices also identified several areas where the original concept left room for improvement in terms of effectiveness or sustainability. First, recruitment and retention of teen participants proved more challenging than anticipated for a variety of reasons: competing time commitments (other extra-curriculars, jobs, homework), lack of prior experience as creative writers, and anxiety about sharing writing with others. Significant time was spent by the coordinator unsuccessfully attempting to connect with nine students who signed up for the program but never ended up attending. In addition, communication between monthly meetings was not nearly as reciprocal as envisioned, with inconsistent replies in response to writing prompts and editorial suggestions in email and blog posts from leaders and mentors. Given those challenges, it probably would have been helpful to have built in some kind of extrinsic motivation (partial class credit, or on-going connection with school staff) to supplement the assumed intrinsic rewards for teens, in order to draw them in initially and then keep them actively involved. Another frequent suggestion was to use ice-breakers and other


intentional community-building activities starting with the first session, in order to develop a climate of trust, acceptance, and collaboration. The other main gap between concept and reality was in the sheer number of hours required to keep the project on-track and functional. In the planning stage, the focus was (appropriately) on the time spent working directly and indirectly with teen writers. Unfortunately, the amount of time required for general administration and coordination was badly underestimated, as was the time it took to select, edit and collate the poems to be included in Soundings. The Teen Voices writer-educator team all felt willing to "write off" much of their time spent as volunteer hours, given the first-time nature of the project. Obviously, this is not a sustainable situation. If the project is able to continue in some manner, either the scope will need to be reduced or new funding sources developed, so that professional work by the leadership team is fully and equitably compensated. At this point, there is no plan for an on-going Teen Voices Project, since all of the funding was time-limited. However, many participants and community members have expressed an interest and hope that the project will continue in some form and build on its successes. One option would be that some of Teen Voice's current organizers could come together to create new funding proposals, perhaps with a more limited scope. Another possibility would be that one of Winona's existing arts and/or education organizations might take on a new version of Teen Voices as part of their regular programing for youth. Marcia Ratliff is currently working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, but Scott Lowery and Ken McCullough are available and interested in continuing to contribute in some manner with the Teen Voices project. About half of the volunteer mentors are also still in the area and interested in helping again. Of the teen participants who were not graduating last spring, almost all said they'd like to stay involved with Teen Voices. For more details, please feel free to read attached materials, or contact Scott Lowery with follow-up questions or suggestions: 507-689-4532, [email protected] More information and photos are also available at these sites:

• Teen Voices Project Blog https://teenvoicesproject.wordpress.com

• Winona Art Center Facebook Page (5-7-16) https://www.facebook.com/WinonaArtsCenter/photos/pcb.10154268298549170/10154268291029170/?type=3&theater


PROJECT ASSESSMENT 1. Strengths

• Off-campus location: relaxed, coffeehouse atmosphere, individual choice of refreshments

• Guest writers: diversity of style/approach, willingness to engage with teens and offer feedback during small group work

• College-age mentors: teens benefited from encouragement and connections with local poetry slam activities; mentors offered window into the next level after high school and were willing to take on tasks such as leading small groups or presenting warm-up activities at workshops

• International students provided unexpected cultural and language diversity • Program leaders: beneficial mix of personality/age/experience among three

writer-educators, team approach to facilitating workshops • Editorial process: individualized attention given to revision of submissions

for book, give-and-take with project leaders to attain quality level comparable to literary journal

• Community-building: peer group evolved into supportive network, especially during preparation for performance

• Public performance: showed community support, affirmed value of project, motivated teens to practice and develop their spoken word skills, created group solidarity

• Book: solidified self-perception as published authors, motivated intensive revisions, provided quality product to share with family, friends and community

• Personal/artistic growth: strengthened identification as writers/poets, provided sense of accomplishment (especially with book and performance), encouraged integration of writing practice into their everyday lives, enhanced self-confidence in their own creative thinking

2. Problems/challenges

• Recruitment more challenging than expected o competing involvement in other activities (music, drama, sports,

jobs) o new program without name recognition o limited connections with teaching staff o expected connection with social justice group at WSHS did not

materialize o unexpected lack of prior involvement with creative writing, especially

poetry o many signed up without much commitment to attend

• Retention issues o some realized they were overextended o some felt shy about their writing, or outside social comfort zone o some had transportation issues o unsuccessful with initial goal of including/retaining teens not

typically involved in community-based art activities o total reliance on intrinsic motivation perhaps not realistic for this age

group


• Communication between meetings o communication tended to be only in one direction (adults-to-teens) o many participants were inconsistent email users o general reluctance until late in the year to share work-in-progress via

email, and lack of follow-through on suggested revisions o project leaders' lack of presence at teens' schools made it difficult to

"track down" students to discuss absences, revisions, or deadlines • Time required to administer/coordinate program

o project budget dramatically underestimated time needed o affiliation with School District necessitated some additional

unexpected responsibilities (background checks, purchasing and billing procedures and documentation)

o Grant Coordinator put in about 4 times the hours that were budgeted, but was willing to volunteer the extra hours for the sake of the project

o reliance on writer-educators to volunteer their time is not sustainable 3. Possible changes or additions

• Publicity about program prior to recruiting visits needs to come earlier and have wider distribution

• Involve mentors and past teen participants in recruitment activities • Continue to develop contacts with interested teaching staff • Try again with teaching staff who are connected with teens who are typically

under-represented in arts/enrichment activities • Explore ways to connect Teen Voices participation to school: credit-earning

opportunities, check-ins with leaders at school, meetings during school day (on- or off-campus)

• Build in earlier, more frequent community-building activities during workshop sessions

• Spend time in first workshop establishing norms for follow-through and communication between meetings, including basic email etiquette

• Use an interactive blog (where teens could add comments) or other social networking resources (Facebook or others) to build community among teen participants, mentors and leadership team

• Develop an easily accessible way of providing rides • Explore ways of adapting the successful parts of the model to a more limited

scale in terms of time needed for leadership and coordination • Save on budget by not using so many guest presenters • Elicit more in-depth, qualitative feedback from participants

4. Future options

• Seek further on-going funding for continuing with similar model, from regional or state funding agencies that might be able to provide more long-term support (State Art Board, SE MN Arts Council)

• Seek sponsorship by existing community arts group as part of their youth programming

• Continue in modified format as series of short-term or one-time workshops or presentations


PROJECT BUDGET

(composite: August 2015 – June 2016)

INCOME

Source Original (8-15) Received (date) Notes

Government grants (Winona Fine Arts Commission)

$ 1500 $ 1500 (4-24-15)

Foundations – WAPS Foundation

$ 1950 $ 1950 (6-16) About $200 left unspent, available until December 2016

Foundations – WACS Foundation (actually from Cotter H.S.)

$ 1040 (projected) $ 800 (1-8-16) $275 paid to Community Ed, $525 pd directly to Mugby Junction for snacks

Foundations – Winona Community Foundation

$ 2300 $ 2315 (9-18-15)

Individual contributions $ 300 (projected) $ 566 (2/3-16) Gifts from Bremer Bank ($100), Merchants Bank ($300), Amy Nankivil ($150); donations at book launch ($16)

Fundraising events and products $ 310 (projected) N/A Did not engage in fundraising events

In-kind support (Lutheran Campus Center: meeting space)

$ 280 $ 280 (starting 10-15) Free monthly meeting space November through April

Earned Income (Book sales: 50 copies @ $10 each to family, friends)

$ 500 $ 310 (5-6-16) Cash and checks received at 5-6 Book Launch

Community Education budget for advertising

$ 135 $ 135 (1-16)

Total Income $ 8315 $ 7856

(EXPENSES ON NEXT PAGE)


PROJECT BUDGET

(composite: August 2015 – June 2016)

EXEXPENSES

Item (with original explanation/projection) Original (8-15) Paid (date)

Salaries and wages related to the project (none of these are regular Community Education staff)

Writer-Educator Team (facilitation, read/respond, planning: 20 hrs/month x 7 months x $20/hour)

$ 2800 $ 2800 Split between Scott, Ken, Marcia

Grant Coordinator (publicity, communication, evaluation, reporting: 5 hrs/month x 9 months x $20/hour)

$ 900 $ 900 Split between Scott & Ken

Guest Artists Stipends ($250 x 6 month, Oct. through March, includes travel, $300 for Sept. recruiting events)

$ 1800 $ 1550 (10-15/3-16)

Cut back to 5 guests September: $100 each to Leaders for presentations at 3 schools

Honoraria (college-age mentors, $50 x 10) $ 500 $ 400 (June 16) Cut back to 8 mentors

Background checks, mentors, leaders ($15 x 10) N/A $ 150 (10/11-15) Not in original budget, required by school district

Snacks for teen participants ($75 x 7 meetings, Oct. through April)

$ 525 $ 449.38 75.62 refund for unused swipe cards, check from Mugby to WAPS, 6-16

Book printing (setup $350, design/layout $250, printing/delivery@100 copies $400)

$ 1000 $ 707.57 Scaled back: $500 setup costs, $207.57 for printing/delivery of 75 copies

Advertising (¼ page in Fall Community Education mailing, 50 black/white posters)

$ 135 $ 135

Supplies (journals, paper, matte board, magazines) $ 200 $ 62.14 Journals, postage (~$13)

Occupancy (performance @ Winona Art Center $100 rental)

$ 100 $ 50 Reduced rate for educational organization, per Mary Coughlan

Event supplies (for Book Launch @ Winona Art Center)

N/A $ 102.17 Not budgeted; assumed it would be offset by donations at event

In-kind expenses (rental at LCC, 7 mos. x $40) $ 280 $ 280

Photocopies (participant work, handouts) $ 75 $ 17.71

Total Expenses $ 8315 $ 7603.97


TEEN VOICES TIMELINE, 2015-16

Winter 2015

• Informal conversations, email, research • First planning meeting January 13 with early members of advisory group • "Team" identified: Scott Lowery, Ken McCullough, Marcia Ratliff, Akeila

Attiona • Received valuable advice from several area grant writers: Deb Ward, Beth

Moe, Julie Johnson, Valerie Williams • Webinar re Arts Learning grant from MN State Arts Board: decided this

looks too involved for first-time project, especially with February deadline • Followup advisory meetings in January and February to define central

purpose and discuss program components • Discussions with Theatre d'Mississippi re sponsorship: eventually

declined by them because Teen Voices was seen as competing for the same kind of funding that they are seeking on an on-going basis

• WAPS Community Education agreed to serve as fiscal agent • Lutheran Campus Center agreed to provide meeting space as donation-

in-kind; Mugby Junction agreed to partner on refreshments Spring 2015

• Developed budget for book design and printing with Chris Livingston of Book Shelf Editions

• Made arrangements to rent the Winona Art Center for a community performance the following spring

• Winona Fine Arts Commission: submitted request for $1500 by March 1; approved later in month

• SE MN Arts Council, Arts & Cultural Heritage Grant: Scott attended pre-application workshop in Rochester; submitted request for $5900 by April 1; rejected in late April for technical reasons related to several budgetary line items

• Researched Winona Foundation (Laird Family): not a fit because must be submitted by non-governmental organization

• Researched B2K2: not a fit because they fund capital equipment and programs with "proven track record"

• Team continued to research and make preliminary contacts with possible guest poets; advisory group continued to meet

Summer 2015

• Winona Community Foundation: submitted request for $2300 on June 1; approved in early August for $2315

• Winona Area Public Schools Foundation: preliminary inquiry indicated they could fund in proportion to participation by WAPS students; submitted request for $1950 on June 10; approved later in month


• Verbal agreement from Cotter High School to provide funding that is a proportional match to WAPS Foundation, depending on how many of their students end up participating

• Notified advisory group in early August that we have successfully reached our budget and will be moving ahead with Teen Voices

• Ken, Scott and Marcia continue as three-person team, after Akeila Attiona moves out of state and is unavailable for continued involvement

• August: attempt to collaborate with Midwest Music Fest youth outreach, featuring Twin Cities spoken word artist Toki Wright; ultimately unsuccessful because of limited scheduling options

• Developed plan/schedule for meetings Lutheran Campus Center; planned swipe card system for refreshments from adjoining Mugby Junction

• Discuss need for criminal background check for "staff" and volunteer mentors; establish procedures and track progress

• Budget procedures established at Community Education • Marcia sent email to prospective mentors, recruited via referrals from Jim

Armstrong at WSU and also signups at local poetry open mic events Fall 2016

• September: meeting at Winona State University with college-age volunteers, including scheduling preferences, need for background check, and guidelines for appropriate interaction with teens; all are enthusiastic and provide helpful ideas

• Team planning for recruitment activities at three area high schools, with help from teachers at each school

• Teen Voices team presents to two all-school assemblies at Cotter High School (September 23)

• Recruiting presentation at Winona Area Learning Center (October 1) and presented in 15 classrooms at Winona Senior High School (October 5)

• Mid-October: applications collected at all three sites and students notified about first session

• Marcia creates Teen Voices blog (teenvoicesproject.wordpress.com) with postings about upcoming events and additional writing prompts

• Cotter H.S. approves funding request for $800, including payment for swipe cards

• Workshop session #1 (October 21), with Twin Cities author Ed Bok Lee; themes of ethnic identity, family background; "You Bring Out the…" writing prompt/activity; small groups form

• Workshop session #2 (November 11), with poet and songwriter Diane Jarvenpa; power of rhythm and repetition, repeated word prompt/activity


Winter 2016 • Individual email communication with teens continues, with responses to

work-in-progress received from several participants • Workshop session #3 (December 8) features former WSU instructor

Zach Carlsen, who read examples of fantasy narratives and characters; prompt/activity related to using an arbitrary lexicon and loosened definitions

• Continued attempts to connect with non-attendees through their teachers via email or personal visits to school

• Blog postings of additional writing challenges, especially over holiday break • Workshop session #4 (January 13): team leaders each read and

discuss one of their poems; discussion and first practice related to performance; rough timelines for book and performance event

• Detailed discussion in late January with Chris Livingston about book design and printing timelines and costs; uncertainty about whether there will be enough material submitted for a book

• Began soliciting individual gifts/contributions to cover budget shortfall • Workshop session #5 (February 10): St. Paul writer Naomi Cohn

reads, presents activity related to activating senses and value of close listening or even memorizing one's work; discusses how her visual disability influences/informs her work; deadline for book submissions set for March 1

• Early March: team decides to go forward with book based on quantity and quality of submissions; intensive 1:1 work on editing poems via email, including visits to WSHS and CHS to meet with students

• Workshop session #6 (March 23): Twin Cities spoken word performer Bao Phi focuses on stage presence, the use of humor and drama; offers feedback to teens on their performance; session covered by reporters/photographers from Winona Post-Shopper

• Late March: additional material for book written and edited, final galleys sent to Chris; cover design finalized; contents to include poems from 29 authors; blurb requests sent to guest poets

Spring 2016

• Early April: three iterations of proof of book, reviewing final corrections on poems, author list/contents, introduction and acknowledgements pages, title page, and front and back covers

• Workshop session #7 (April 13): emphasis on performance practice, with tips from Ken and others; each book contributor had time to read with mic and amp and receive feedback; session covered by reporters and photographers from Winona Daily News

• Late April: ordered 75 copies of book on April 21; received 1 week later • Media releases, social networking and posters distributed to publicize

community performance; ordered refreshments; wrote and printed program

• "Book Launch/ Poetry Celebration", Winona Art Center (May 6): reading by 16 teens and 7 mentors, additional remarks from Scott, Marcia and Ken, near capacity turnout, comp copies delivered to students

• Post-project surveys collected at event


• Photos from Book Launch posted on Winona Art Center Facebook page • Mailed comp copies of Soundings to blurb contributors and absentee

contributors • Worked out logistical problems with honoraria for mentors; confirmed

checks were sent; worked out resolution to unspent balance on refreshments budget

• Final debriefing among writer-educators in May • Preliminary discussions with other Winona arts organizations about future

options Summer 2016

• Final bills paid, accounts reconciled • Final project budget completed • Final report written and distributed to stakeholders


INITIAL CONCEPT OF PROJECT (from Winona Community Foundation grant application)

Awash in a flow of first-time experiences and cascading emotions, many teens are naturally drawn to writing poetry, yet few have the resources and support to take their writing beyond predictable adolescent clichés. Teen Voices will offer teen writers the artistic tools and coaching needed to become more confident and intentional as poets and spoken word performers. This pilot project will draw from three Winona high school programs to actively recruit 30 students with an interest in creative writing, including many whose educational settings or family resources would not typically provide access to such activities. A team of experienced writer-educators will plan and lead monthly workshop sessions in a local coffeehouse setting, where teens will learn from guest artists, mentors, online resources and each other. In the spring, Teen Voices will collect student work in a locally published paperback book, and participants will collaborate to create an exciting public performance of their strongest pieces. The project also aims to catch Winona’s ear and begin to build an audience for poetry and spoken word, especially among a youthful demographic.


SOME QUOTES FROM TEENS' SIGN-UP FORMS

“WhenIwrite,Ifeelthemostlikemyself.”

“Writingisabigpartofmylife,it’showIexpressmyselfandmythoughts

andfeelings,andit’skindofwhoIam.”

“Writingisthesolewaytoprojectemotionandmemoriesandintertwine

itwithbeautyandtechnique…Wedie.Ourwordsdon’t.”

“MygoalistowriteasmuchasIcanduringthisperiodandpickupsome

tipstoimprovemyselfandfurtherincreasemyoutputofqualityworkin

ordertogrowasaperson,astudent,andanartist.”

“Iwouldliketo…furtherdevelopmyselfasawriteraswellasventure

outsideofmycomfortzone.”

“Iusepoetrytoreleasenegativeemotionsinapositiveway.”

“Iliketowriteaboutalotofthings,butit’sespeciallynicewhenIcan

makepeoplelaugh.”

“Iwouldliketobeabletowritemoreoftenwithoutbeingheldbackby

perfectionism.”

“Listeningtootherpeople’spoetry(andmyown)anddiscussingit(or

evenjustappreciatingitsilently)soundsabsolutelywonderfultome…”


PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS

initial group (October) final group (May) Total 25 19 Cotter H.S. 7 6 Winona Sr. H.S. 13 12 Winona A.L.C. 5 1 Grade 9 5 4 Grade 10 3 1 Grade 11 9 7 Grade 12 8 7 Male 9 7 Female 16 12 NOTES: 1. Initial group includes all who attended at least once. 2. Nine students signed up but never attended (3 WALC, 2 CHS, 4 WSHS). 3. Final group includes those who submitted work for book and/or participated in spring workshops.


PARTICIPANT SURVEYS

Teen participants were asked to rate themselves (from 1 to 5) on ten writing-related items in both October and May. The results in the table below are useful in seeing where the group fell in terms of self-perceived relative strengths and weaknesses. In May, many of the participants either failed to return a completed survey or did not respond to an emailed survey, so the results are not very complete. Results reported in the table are aggregate for the group, so if 6 teens reported an upward change of 1 point and 3 reported a downward change of 1 point, the result reported would be +3. Many respondents in May rated themselves lower on some items than they had in October, as well as higher on other items. It is unclear whether this accurately reflects changes in their self-perception, or simply a margin of error in the survey instrument, which was intended as a quick assessment and was not tested for validity. In some cases, the May ratings that were lower seemed in clear contrast to what the leadership team observed from individuals in workshops and the final performance. Some of the lower May ratings could also be seen as a more realistic self-assessment, based on having been tested by the real challenges presented during Teen Voices activities. Further qualitative feedback (open-ended questions or video interviews) would have been needed to accurately evaluate whether participation in Teen Voices led to growth in these areas. initial aggregate average change (October) (May) 1.Englishlanguageskills(grammar,spelling,etc.) 3.9 +3 2.Writingskills(clear,expressive,powerful) 3.3 +4 3.Amountofencouragement&supportyougetfor 3.5 +4 4.Yourwillingnesstotakeonartisticchallenges&risks 3.6 -3 5.Yourself-confidenceinyourwriting 2.6 0 6.Amountoftimeeveryweekyoudevotetowriting 2.5 +1 7.Skillandcomfortlevelforreadingaloudtoothers 2.7 -1 8.Yourabilitytolistenandgivefeedbacktootherwriters 3.3 -1 9.Experiencewithotherartslearningactivities(pastorpresent) 3.1 +2 10.Interestinreadingpoetry,attendingpoetryevents 3.8 -1 Numberofrespondents 23 12


SOUNDINGS: FORWARD

TO THE READER The book in your hands offers a multi-faceted snapshot of how the world looks right now for a group of young writers in a small Minnesota city. Over the course of a school year, they've been meeting together at a local coffeehouse to hear, discuss, perform and write poetry. Some were already dedicated creative writers, and some had never written a poem. Each contributor worked hard to dream up images, juggle word choices, give and receive feedback, and revise and polish their writing. Soundings is a collection of their best poems so far, featuring a rich diversity of voices and forms. Despite a few surprise cameo appearances (Helen Keller, the Greek god Erebus, and a familiar children's book character), the poets mainly speak for themselves in these poems, and their voices are honest and thoughtful. You will find themes ranging from terrorism and social class disparity to new eyeglasses and pesky cat hair. And homework. And, of course, the roller coaster of love. The Teen Voices Project was designed to provide young poets with the same sorts of resources that are vital for adult writers: a peer community, comfortable space, inspiring mentors, intriguing prompts, demanding editors. Our work was enlivened by the enthusiasm of our college-age volunteer mentors, whose poems are also included. We also gained an unplanned global dimension from our international and bilingual group members. Many of these poems were initially sparked by workshops with a lineup of generous and talented guest poets: Ed Bok Lee, Diane Jarvenpa, Zach Carlsen, Naomi Cohn, and Bao Phi. This book was carefully and lovingly assembled with my fellow Teen Voices editors and group leaders, Ken McCullough and Marcia Ratliff, who have kept this project alive and thriving since Day One. We're all proud of what these young writers have accomplished, and look forward to hearing their voices for many years to come. Scott Lowery, Teen Voices Coordinator Winona, Minnesota, Spring 2016


SOUNDINGS: BLURBS

"With insight and verve, these young writers are sharing their worlds with you. Poetry is a beautiful form of communication - I am grateful to these writers for so bravely laying it all out in these pages." -- Bao Phi, guest poet, Program Director, Loft Literary Center "Soundings brings us, through whispers and shouts, all these vivid and intelligent teen voices. Through honest witness they tell us of their dreaming of life, the pain, the shadows, and the beauty. Power and energy pulse here, as well as illuminated mystery. In the detail and in the wisdom, these writers do sing.” —Diane Jarvenpa, guest poet, songwriter "I worked with Teen Voices last December--the middle of winter, cold, and dark--any normal person would have stayed home...not these writers. Their energy was on fire, their ideas were clear and imaginative, and their voices as writers were impressively developed. I am so grateful to have had the chance to work with all of these gifted minds." -- Zach Carlsen, guest poet, educator "Freewheeling, wide-ranging, by turns playful, soulful, original and wise, these poems are waiting to surprise and delight you. They are a testament to the range of voices and perspectives that emerge when young writers are given the tools to share their world as they see it. It was a gift to get to work with these young poets." -- Naomi Cohn, guest poet, curator, Known by Heart Project "Many of the participants started out a little shy, a little unsteady, but as they were nourished by a gumbo of voices and influences, their work grew exponentially. These poets are mature beyond their years but also still in touch with the highs and lows of adolescence. Their abundance of talent is obvious, and you witness them taking giant risks in their work. Many young poets feel that they are solitary voices howling in the wilderness, but this group came together as an authentic community of writers. I’ve observed many good teams here in Winona, but this has been one of the best." -- Ken McCullough, project co-leader, Winona Poet Laureate


SOUNDINGS: SAMPLE POEMS Note: these poems were chosen to represent the diversity of subject matter within the collection. Their selection is not intended to critically value them above any of the other fine poems in the book. Copies of the book are still available at Winona Community Education, 317 Market Street, Winona MN. PEN Aaron Smith hey. umm. not sure how to tell you this... i stole it? your pen, the black one, the REALLY nice one ...your favorite it's just so nice. i tried it once, couldn’t resist, it just sat there. unguarded. think I’m gonna keep it, just for awhile, have to write some things. sorry. Aaron was a freshman last year at Winona Senior High School. One of his goals was to find more time for writing outside of school, "to get in the habit of writing for pleasure." This poem was a big favorite with his fellow Teen Voices members, and he performs it with obvious comic delight.


PAINTING FLOWERS Nikki Miller Catnip, peonies freesia, forget-me-not orange blossoms, black-eyed Susans baby's breath, dog's mercury

I promise I will not forget you. Lilacs, lavender Sweet, pure daisies Lemongrass, eucalyptus

Your eyes are so very intricate. Aloe, sweet pea sunflowers, white jasmine aster, bupleurum carnations and delphiniums

Look me in the eyes and make me weak in the knees.

Nikki was a senior at WSHS last year. She said that "I find myself writing when I'm stressed, at peace with myself or I'm struck with inspiration." Nikki was diligent and open-minded throughout the revision process, contributing several poems to the book. She also enjoys writing fiction.


SWEET BRUISES Booker Tulloh The concrete tried its best hitting my knuckles for hours Wanting to break my fingers Needing to crack my bones It tried its best to show proof of this aching pain is hard to explain With my words always shaking Even if that hard rock did succeed, I am sure that honey would pour from my wounded cracked hands Folks would stop by and think, Oh how sweet! I bet it tastes lovely, that really is neat. Booker was a senior last year at the Winona Area Learning Center. During the second part of the school year, he moved to Montana to live with relatives while he completed his high school diploma, but he stayed in touch and sent us several poems for the book. He says that journaling and writing poems help him sort out his feelings, and he enjoyed the assignments and feedback.


YOU BRING OUT THE MUSLIM EXCHANGE STUDENT IN ME Usman Nawaz You bring out the muslim exchange student who left his country for the first time in me The love of trying new things in me The canyoning, kayaking, and jumping in water for the first time in me The feeling of being away from home in me The whole lot of answers I give every day in me The crucial discussions on Islam and peace in me The remorse of not being at my sister’s wedding in me You bring out the muslim exchange student who left his country for the first time in me The one who ponders over things he never thought he would worry about in me The decisions I make every day ranging from budgeting to what to eat for breakfast in me Who sleeps with so many thoughts filling my mind in me What would they be doing in Pakistan at this time? in me Who can’t sleep without listening to soft music in me You bring out the muslim exchange student who left his country for the first time in me You bring the feel of that quilt hand woven by my mother for me in me Her gentle touch that wakes me up in the morning in me The scent of bread being toasted with butter in me The sharp taste of that morning Chai in me The crispness of the fresh newspaper I would read with my father every morning in me You bring out the muslim exchange student who left his country for the first time in me


The comfort of that wooden bed in me The noise of children I could see playing in the street from my bedroom window in me The smell of the water spilled on the carpet in me The scent of the cologne I used every day in me You bring out the muslim exchange student who left his country for the first time in me Most importantly you bring the feeling of trying something new in me The fact that I left my comfort zone in me The amazing sense of conquering something in me The pride of representing my country in me Indeed you bring out the muslim exchange student who left his country for the first time in me Muhammed Usman Nawaz was a junior last year at Winona Senior High, as an exchange student from Pakistan. This poem was Usman's response to a prompt from guest poet Ed Bok Lee, and his version really brought the exchange-student experience alive for his fellow group members. Usman was one of the first teens to volunteer to read during our "open mic" sessions, and he quickly became an engaging and self-confident performer.


RAIN Frannie Jones Rain that is ferocious in its vulnerability. Rain, angry and pure. Rain that permeates with sorrow, Knows no boundaries, no rest. Rain that slices with its caress And infuses sacrifice. Self-destructing rain. Intoxicating rain. Beautiful rain. Rain that puddles and splashes and rusts. With simple truths and a beat. But without self. Frannie was a senior last year at Cotter High School. When she joined the project, she said that "my least favorite form of writing would probably be, ironically, poetry, simply because it is not my forte." Guest poet Diane Jarvenpa encouraged us to explore the power of rhythm and repetition, which Frannie's poem does admirably.


TRIO Pippa Armstrong 1. for you, i would wait until i lost all sense. instead, for you i try to pretend i’m not here. i feign disinterest until the poison of pretending spreads through my veins to the tips of my fingers. navigating this space, the minor horizon between friends and more-than, i get lost in detail: am i walking too close am i looking too long am i laughing too loud am i failing again i am oh god i am— fighting the shame of loving you, it’s like running through red tar. fear is my protection, secrecy is yours. you let me see you in penumbra, hiding your flaws as if i can’t find them, yet i know them the same as your beauty. i would be content to be nothing, to float in your wake, to know you only as much as you’d let me, to lie until i’d forget the truth, but my heart tells you otherwise and you speak its language fluently, beautifully. 2. inhale, exhale somehow you became a lung and i forgot how to breathe without you. do we become our fears, or do they become us, sliding effortlessly in and out of our skin? maybe it’s too soon to say but for the first time, i have carried my personality with me in my coat pocket, instead of hauling it in an oversized backpack and leaving it somewhere else. it’s a little bit heavy, but i don’t mind. when i’m with you, i know who i’m supposed to be. 3.


i didn’t want to control you, consume you, create you, convert you. i wanted to find you, not to invent you. to know you, not own you; to see you, believe in you. you are my exorcist and my possessor, my demon and my cure. you are my endless and my everything: my article, adjective, noun. One of our more experienced poets and reliable group members, Pippa was a junior at Winona Senior High School. When she signed on, she was looking forward to "meaningful conversations away from the endless vortex of phones and the Internet." Pippa is an attentive, careful listener and an inventive wordsmith, as you can see from this "relationship poem".


BOOK LAUNCH: PROGRAM


BOOK LAUNCH: POSTERS


BOOK LAUNCH: POSTERS


TEEN VOICES AUDIENCE SURVEY (TOTALS FROM 25 RETURNED SURVEYS)

1. How often do you read poetry (in print or online)? 2 Never 12 A few times per year 8 Once/twice per month 3 Once/twice per week 0 Once/twice per day

2. How often do you listen to or view spoken word performances (online or live)? 7 Never 10 A few times per year 4 Once/twice per month 4 Once/twice per week 0 Once/twice per day

3. Your age: 4 18/under 1 19-25 0 26-40 16 41-60 4 61/over

4. Why did you decide to attend tonight's performance? (Check all that apply) 23 wanted to hear teen viewpoints expressed 25 wanted to support the live performance of poetry 7 excited about the quality of the poetry that will be read 2 curious after seeing publicity ( __ posters 2 online __ newspaper) 16 friend or family of Teen Voices author 6 friend or family of Teen Voices leader/organizer 4 other: see next page

Please fill out the remaining items AFTER the performance:

5. Which of the following did you hear or see from Teen Voices poets? (Check any that apply) 16 striking or musical use of words 25 honest expression of emotions 21 funny or quirky point of view 20 thought-provoking ideas or images 19 "window" into teen experience 21 engaging performance/reading ___ other highlights: "effective repetition of phrases & terms" "many of my students"

6. How would you rate the performance overall on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent)?

0 < 7 2 = 7 8 = 8 3 = 9 12 = 10

7. How will tonight's program influence your interest in poetry? 9 No big changes 12 More likely to attend poetry events in future 9 More likely to read more poetry 0 Less likely to seek out poetry

8. Any suggestions for future programs like this? (Feel free to use back of sheet)

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR COMMENTS


COMMENTS FROM AUDIENCE SURVEY 4. "Other" responses from "Why did you decide to attend?"

• "supporter of arts and culture esp. young" • "WSHS teacher" • "creative writing teacher" • "I was going to be in Teen Voices but wasn't able to"

8. Any suggestions for future programs like this?

• "Loved it, thank you!" • "extremely well done" • "it was great as it is—thanks" • "Thanks for giving teens this opportunity" • "Read in the same space in the same lighting conditions with same equipment

beforehand (master the microphone)" • "more seating set up before audience arrives" • "good job" • "Arrange the speakers by height—will make the mic adjustments smoother"


OctoberworkshopwithEdBokLee,"YouBringOutthe(blank)InMe"

SmallgroupwritinginOctober


DianeJarvenpadiscussessimilaritiesbetweensongwritingandpoetryinNovember

InDecember,ZachCarlsenleadsanexercisewitharandomlycreatedwordbankor

lexicon.


SmallgroupfeedbacksessioninMarch,withWinonaDailyNewsreporterJerome

Christensenthrowinginhistwocentsworth.


BaoPhihelpsusfindourinnerperformerinMarch

Carefullisteningisakeyelement


Usmanpracticeshispacinganduseofthemicrophone

FullhouseattheWinonaArtCenterinMay(photobyMaryCoughlan)


PerformingwithconfidenceattheBookLaunch,clockwisefromupperleft:Fatima

Mota,ErinWilson,NinaDaoandLucyNelson


Groupphoto(photobyMaryCoughlan)atMay6BookLaunch/PoetryCelebrationL/RFrontRow(standingonfloor):PeterSeo,NinaDao,LucyNelson,FatimaMota,AbbyPeschges,MeganDienger,PippaArmstrong,MarciaRatliff;MiddleRow(on1striser):NicholleRamsey,ErinWilson,NikkiMiller,KenMcCullough;TopRow(2ndriser):BenStrand,BenScheidegger,LeannaHaag,AaronSmith,AliceSchultz,UsmanNawaz,KelseySobeck,EduardoQuijada,KayseyPrice,OscarHedin,ScottLowery

Documents

TEEN VOICES PROJECT FINAL REPORT