Cochise Cowboy Poets Inc

1) WESTERN HERITAGE WRITING PROGRAM: IN COORDINATION WITH THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN SIERRA VISTA, AND PALOMINAS, TWO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THE HOME SCHOOLING CONSORTIUM AND THE FORT HUACHUCA ACCOMMODATION SCHOOLS, WE CONDUCT A WESTERN HERITAGE WRITING PROGRAM FOR GRADE LEVELS 3-12, ALONG WITH A MUSIC WRITING PROGRAM FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS DURING THE FALL SEMESTER. THIS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS OF ALL AGES TO WRITE CREATIVELY ABOUT WESTERN HERITAGE AND FOLKLORE. THE PROGRAM WAS ACTIVELY SUPPORTED AND ADMINISTERED BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. LOCAL COWBOY POETS AND MUSICIANS VOLUNTEERED APPROXIMATELY 400 HOURS OF THEIR TIME AND TALENT, OVER A SIX-MONTH PERIOD, TO TRAVEL TO EACH SCHOOL AND PERFORM PROMOTIONAL EVENTS TAILORED TO THE INDIVIDUAL GRADES AND CLASSES. EACH PROMOTIONAL EVENT CONCLUDED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENT QUESTIONS AND TEACHER REINFORCEMENT. THIS PROGRAM CULMINATED IN A COWBOY POETRY CONTEST IN DECEMBER 2020 - OVER 1,200 STUDENTS SUBMITTED POEMS. THE WINNING POEMS ARE PUBLISHED EACH YEAR IN AS AN ANTHOLOGY, CALLED THE SADDLEBAG OF POEMS. WINNERS FROM EACH GRADE LEVEL RECEIVED PRIZES AND PERFORMED DURING THE SATURDAY OPEN EVENTS ACTIVITIES. WHEN THE POETS AND MUSICIANS COME TO THE GATHERING, THEY PERFORM IN THE SCHOOLS ON THE FRIDAY OF THE GATHERING. THE NINE TOP WINNERS APPEARED ON STAGE AT THE HEADLINE STAGE PERFORMANCES. ALL OF THE CONTEST WINNERS HAD THEIR POEMS AND/OR LYRICS PUBLISHED IN A COLLECTION OF POEMS, EDITED, PUBLISHED, AND MARKETED BY THE GATHERING. WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO FINE-TUNE OUR PROGRAMS, AND TO OFFER ASSISTANCE TO OTHER COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE FUTURE. OUR LIMIT IS DISTANCE AND GETTING A COORDINATOR IN THE SCHOOLS WHO CAN RUN THE PROGRAM LOCALLY, WITH OUR ASSISTANCE. WE PROVIDED A BOX OF SUPPORT MATERIALS TO EACH OF THE TWENTY-THREE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS THIS YEAR. EACH BOX CONTAINED REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THE STUDENTS TO USE IN WRITING THEIR POETRY OR LYRICS. THE MATERIALS INCLUDED BOOKS AND CDS AND OTHER ITEMS TO BE USED FOR INSTRUCTION IN THE CLASSROOMS. 3) COWBOY POET RESIDENCIES. IN FEBRUARY 2021, DURING THE GATHERING, SELECTED COWBOY POETS SPEND ONE DAY IN RESIDENCE IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOMS PERFORMING POETRY AND CONDUCTING DEMONSTRATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COWBOY LIFE, TOOLS OF THE COWBOY, WESTERN HERITAGE AND FOLKLORE, CATTLE RAISING AND RANCHING. THIS YEAR WE REACHED APPROXIMATELY 10,000 STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS IN SIERRA VISTA, PALOMINAS, BISBEE, BENSON, TOMBSTONE, TWO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THE FORT HUACHUCA ACCOMMODATION SCHOOLS. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS TO SEE AND HEAR REAL COWBOYS, TO LEARN FIRST HAND ABOUT COWBOY EXPERIENCES, AND TO GAIN AN APPRECIATION FOR WESTERN HERITAGE AND FOLKLORE. THE PROGRAM PROVIDED A STRONG INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH LANGUAGE AND HERITAGE THROUGH THE EARLY DAYS OF THE COWBOY WEST.