Poetry Together: An Intergenerational Writing Experience

As part of the ACLA Intergenerational Academy we are pleased to announce the following opportunity:

Poetry Together: An Intergenerational Writing Experience

Poetry Together is a four week writing series for students in grades 3 through 6 and older adults to collaborate through the creative process led by poets Judith Robinson and Jay Carson.  Poetry is, first of all, fun. It's fun to hear, and just as much fun to create. To create a poem takes imagination. Experience in the world also adds much to good poetry. This combination parallels what can happen when children and older adults work on poems together---a connection that can open doors of infinite poetic possibilities. What a great idea!

The four week program series will be held on Saturdays September 10, 17, 24 and October 1.  Workshops will be 90 minutes including writing time.  The fifth week will feature a community poetry reading from participants and teaching poets on Sunday, October 9 or Thursday evening, October 6.

Workshop size can range from 8 to 12 people with a 5-6 children and 5-6 adults. Participants will be asked to commit to all weeks of the series.

Each hosting library will be responsible for sharing and collecting brief pre- and post-surveys and photo release forms to participants; providing total attendance; and completing a concluding library survey. Hosting libraries will also be responsible for creating a local follow up intergenerational program that will engage program participants as well as new participants.

Library nominations will be accepted through Tuesday, August 16. Selected libraries will be notified before August 19. To nominate your library email leonettec [at] einetwork.net with answers to the questions below.

In partnership with Judith Robinson and Jay Carson
(Fall; Weekly; Approximately $50 for supplies)

Nomination Questions
To nominate your library email leonettec [at] einetwork.net with answers to the following questions. For more information call Charity Leonette.

• Library & requesting staff member names
• What audiences, organizations or individuals are you currently working with who could participate in or support an intergenerational program? (for example a teen advisory board, school, senior center, assisted living facility, other library staff members)
• Where to you see programs and services to youth and older adults in the next 5-10 years?
• What vision do you have for intergenerational programming at your library? (includes intentional and purposeful collaborations between children or teens and older adults on series or ongoing basis)
• If you could create any intergenerational program or services (with no staffing or budgetary restrictions), what would it be?