The 7th Grade Poetry Foundation

IN OUR THIRD YEAR OF NATIONWIDE OUTREACH, MORE THAN 8,700 STUDENTS IN 118 SCHOOLS IN 39 COUNTIES IN 16 STATES WERE SUCCESSFULLY OFFERED THE CHANCE AT CREATIVE SELF-EXPRESSION THROUGH THIS POETRY WRITING INITIATIVE. AMONG 4,000 STUDENTS WHO WROTE POEMS FOR THE CONTEST, 60% OF THE WINNERS SELECTED BY THEIR SCHOOLS WERE NOT WHO EDUCATORS EXPECTED TO WIN. FOR 60% OF THE WINNING POETS, THIS WAS THE FIRST WIN THEY EXPERIENCED IN ANY TYPE OF COMPETITION. NEARLY ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS DID NOT OFFER POETRY CONTESTS FOR THEIR STUDENTS PRIOR TO 7GP.THE RESULTING 7GP POETRY ANTHOLOGY WAS DONATED TO PARTICIPATING STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES. EACH SCHOOL'S POET LAUREATE RECEIVED A CASH PRIZE AND HAD A FILMED RECORDING POSTED ON THE 7GP WEBSITE AND FIVE SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO-SHARING WEBSITES. POEMS FROM PAST 7GP WINNERS WERE INCORPORATED INTO A LESSON PLAN DONATED TO TEACHERS TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR 7TH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS. 7GP PRODUCED A FILMED EVENT IN MISSOURI, UNIFYING STUDENTS FROM PUBLIC, CHARTER, FAITH-BASED AND NON-SECTARIAN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS. AMONG MANY FIRST-TIME POETRY WRITERS WERE THOSE WITH ENGLISH AS THEIR SECOND LANGUAGE OR WITH SPECIAL PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL NEEDS, AND THOSE CHALLENGED BY POVERTY AND VIOLENCE IN THEIR HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS. MANY STAKEHOLDERS STATED THE 7GP EVENT WAS THE FIRST GROUP POETRY READING THEY ATTENDED OUTSIDE A SCHOOL SETTING. FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE EVENT AND SOME STUDENTS POETS WERE FEATURED IN A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE IN THE LEADING ST. LOUIS NEWSPAPER. ALSO UNPRECEDENTED, THE ANTHOLOGY OF STUDENT POETRY WAS FORMALLY REVIEWED BY ITS BOOK EDITOR.TO PROVIDE STUDENTS AND THEIR COMMUNITY WITH A LIVING ROLE MODEL OF A POET, 7GP HELPED CREATE LEGISLATION, SELECTION AND FUNDING FOR THE FIRST LOCAL POET LAUREATE IN THE 250-YEAR HISOTRY OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.