For National Poetry Month, IU East Campus Library collaborated with Community Christian School for the entire month of April, to help students write their own original poetry. On May 2nd those students, in 5th through 8th grades, delivered their poetry on campus, with rousing success.
KT Lowe, who leads the program, has worked with CCS students for the past three years. “It’s always fascinating to see what directions the students take. Some of the work is based on video games and sports, which is pretty interesting. There’s always poetry with a lot of humor as well. But some of the work is also really serious, quite mature for their age,” she remarks. “It’s always a delight to see what they come up with from year to year. I also get to see how much they’ve grown as writers, especially the ones I’ve worked with for the past few years.”
This year’s celebration was held at IU East Campus Library on Thursday, May 2nd. Thirty seven students presented their work in the Library, following their reading with a campus tour and a book drawing. The celebration came after a month’s worth of work, which included classroom visits, listening to slam poems, reading games, peer editing and, of course, chocolate cupcakes. CCS instructor Gwinn Gibbs and coordinator Dr. Jackie Schlichte continued to help students polish their work before their big day on campus.
National Poetry Month is celebrated every April around the world. As a celebration of the inspired written word, the CCS Poetry Event allows young writers to develop their own voice. Interested in poetry? Want to know more about youth poetry and slam poetry events? Are you a poet who wants a reading event in the Campus Library? Just Ask Us! iueref@iue.edu