In partnership with teachers, the In-School Residency Program aims to draw out young people’s voices and help increase literacy skills through writing and performance lessons that engage them and their personal stories – inviting them to participate in an “Oral Narrative Experience.”

We offer a variety of service options ranging from a shorter residency that exposes your students to creative writing and/or spoken word performance, to a more comprehensive residency program, drawing themes from texts already being studied in class. Each year, we conduct the residencies in two rounds: Fall, to be held from September through December; and Spring, to be held from January through April.

Residency Programs enhance literacy through literary arts, in conjunction with ongoing classroom curricula. A resident poet/mentor works with teachers to develop ongoing programs that enable students to create spoken and written word projects as part of their classroom experience. Demand for Residency Programs exceeds supply. Residency Programs currently operate in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Daly City in middle schools and high schools, reaching thousands of students each year. The residencies occur in four different “Chapters,” which connote different levels of service and corresponding fees.

The Chapter Program offers four packages to meet the needs of you and your students:

Chapter O.N.E. (Oral Narrative Experience): Our most comprehensive residency package, Chapter O.N.E. brings out students’ voices through creative writing and spoken word workshops paired with themes and texts being studied in class. Chapter O.N.E. is comprised of 60 hours, including 40 hours of in-class workshops; 10 hours of leadership development for students at your school (SLAM); one school-wide opening assembly; 1 poetry reading; 1 school-wide poetry slam; representation at the Oakland or San Francisco Schools Slam; and an on-campus teacher training. Chapter O.N.E. Poet Mentors develop a creative response curriculum around the literature and themes to be discussed during the school year.

Chapter Two: Our mid-sized residency, Chapter Two focuses on bringing out students’ voices and personal stories through innovative creative writing and performance workshops. It includes 20 hours of in-class workshops; 5 hours of leadership development for students at your school; 1 poetry reading; 1 school-wide poetry slam; representation in the Oakland or San Francisco Schools Slam; and an on-campus teacher training.

Chapter Three: Chapter Three brings out students’ voices through 1 school-wide assembly featuring Youth Speaks poets; 5 hours of in-classroom workshops; and 5 after-school or lunchtime workshops.

Chapter Four: Our smallest residency package trains your students in the four essential elements of oral presentation through four introductory workshops – Spoken Word 101, Creative Writing, Presentation, and Performance.