Day: Monday
Time: 6:00 - 9:00p
Location:Peabody College at Vanderbilt University
Start Date: January 2011
End Date: May 2011

Developed in collaboration with Dr. Melanie Hundley (Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College); Bill Brown (Poet); and Anna West, (Founding Director, WordPlay Teen Writing Project).

With a unique confluence of education, arts, and youth leadership, spoken word poetry has become one of the most innovative literacy and leadership development tools over the past two decades. Students participating in spoken word programs report improvement in their reading and writing skills, increased self-confidence, and a new sense of community among their peers and teachers. Educators report a clear rise in interest among students, a more youth-driven learning environment, and evidence of greater social and academic confidence among students.

Books for young children are awash with poetry—rhymes, rhythm, rich images, and language play. Children play word games. As children age, poetry often becomes something different; it is less playful, more serious. It is often viewed by students as something to be studied but not written. Students forget their initial fascination and love for words and poetry and begin to see poetry as something bounded by strict rules. Students develop perceptions of poetry that limit their view of it, of what it can offer them; they stop seeing themselves as creators of poetry and begin to see poetry as something out of their reach as writers. As William Stafford elucidated, “The question is not when I became a poet, but when other people stopped.”

In this weekly seminar, poet educators will share their writing philosophy and pedagogy, introducing participants to the fundamentals of engaging youth in literacy. Since contemporary spoken word redefines and emanates from hip hop youth culture, the course will also cover the history of hip hop as a framework for understanding youth values and perspectives in today’s classroom. Seminar participants will explore student experience and perspective as the starting point for education and learning, especially as it relates to their relationships and their family’s relationships to the institutions and systems which shape their world.

The coursework will include a 15 - 20 hour classroom practicum at a local high school, middle school, or education based community partner. This course has limited availability and will have additional screening requirements since students will be working with youth in schools.

Stephanie Pruitt will act as lead instructor in the seminar. Stephanie has worked extensively as an artist educator in schools and recently completed her MFA from Vanderbilt University. She received the 2010 Academy of American Poets Prize, the 2009 Sedberry Prize, and was a finalist for Poets and Writers' Maureen Egen Award. Essence Magazine/Essence.com selected her as one of their "40 Favorite Poets" in 2010.

Benjamin Smith will serve as a co-instructor for the seminar. Benjamin is the founder and executive director of Youth Speaks Nashville. In only its second year, Youth Speaks Nashville conducted poet residencies with 10 schools reaching 2,100 students and performed in front of 3,600 people as part more than 30 community performances. Benjamin has a professional background in youth development and is on the Tennessee Arts Commission roster of approved teaching artists.

The seminar will also feature guest presentations by some of the top poet educators and poet performers in the nation. While participants may know some of the presenters from Def Poetry, others have built their national reputations in classrooms and community workshops.

Click here to download application.