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Who We Are
Founded in 1964, California Poets in the Schools (CPITS) engages professional, published poets to teach youth of all ages the basics of writing and the creative process. We help students recognize and celebrate their creativity and intellectual curiosity through the writing process. We provide students with a multicultural community of trained poet-teachers who bring their experience and love for their craft into the classroom.
Our mission is to empower K-12 students in California to grow their creativity and intellectual curiosity in a multicultural world through the poetry-writing process, and every year, approximately 120 poet teachers reach 25,000 students statewide. We are committed to:
| • Enable local poets and writers to teach innovative writing techniques to K-12 students |
• Enhance the quality of creative writing, reading, critical thinking, and communication
skills while building the students' self-esteem |
• Share and affirm the cultural diversity of California – through multicultural poets and
teaching materials |
| • Build partnerships between school districts, the community, and poets |
| • Help students comprehend and reflect upon their life experiences through poetry. |
You care because you are a:
| • Parent who wants your child to succeed in life |
| • Educator who believes in an effective language arts curriculum |
| • Poet who wants to pass on the art and science of poetry |
| • Someone who just loves poetry, OR |
| • Poet who wants to pass on the art and science of poetry |
| • A believer in creativity and self-expression |
We offer:
| • POET-in-CLASSROOM RESIDENCIES with schools throughout California |
| • PUBLICATIONS of poems by students, poet-teachers and classroom teachers |
| • Formal TRAINING program for poets to become teachers. |
| • Year-round PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and mentoring events for poet teachers |
| • Enhanced LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM design and staff development for schools |
• Annual symposiums, poetry readings, benefits and other LITERARY NETWORKING
opportunities open to the public |
| • A COMMUNITY FOR ALL who enjoy writing, reading, poetry, and literature in general |
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