"I'm no longer accepting the things I cannot change...I'm changing the things I cannot accept." Angela Davis
On behalf of Split This Rock, we invite you to engage in a youth poetry movement of which over 25 schools throughout the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area are actively involved. We believe that the inherent power of art and testimony creates relationships between students from various walks of life. We believe that through writing and community, young people acquire an invigorated sense of self and are thus empowered to transform themselves and society.
Our services include:
After-School Programs
Split This Rock Spoken Word Poetry Clubs give students a regular opportunity to promote a culture of literacy, critical thought, self-confidence, and powerful public speaking. They also bring students together across lines of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, geography, sexuality, socio-economic status, and politics to listen to, learn from, and bond with one another. These programs use poetry as a bridge to promote tolerance, understanding, and non-violent conflict resolution. Our students make changes in themselves and in their communities.
These after-school programs also provide students the opportunity to participate in two of the premier youth poetry festivals in the nation, the Hyper Bole and Louder Than a Bomb. These festivals unite hundreds of students from throughout the DMV and beyond to engage in poetry workshops, spoken word competitions, critical discussions, and an exhilarating slam tournament.
Immediate inclusion into our after-school network and access to our curriculum is at no cost to you. Additionally, we offer an unparalleled variety of world renowned artists, award winning educators, and published authors to assist you in the creative development of your students.
If you are a student, teacher, or administrator interested in establishing an after-school poetry club at your school or community organization, or if you are already a sponsor of an existing after-school club and would like to join our network, we would love to speak with you at your earliest convenience. To contact us, please click on the link below.
Workshops, After-School Sponsor Handbook, & Other Resources
We want to ensure that anybody who wishes to incorporate poetry into their curriculum (whether that be inside of the classroom or through an after-school program) finds the process is as seamless as possible. so we have developed an extensive set of standards-aligned lessons and workshops.
This curriculum, which consists of over 50 writing and performance workshops, is free of charge, but all we kindly ask of you is to fill out the following form so we can keep you updated with all of the exciting opportunities that arise for both you and your students throughout the year.
Please click on the first link to receive the password to access the curriculum. If you already have the password, please click on the second link.