Poetry Center of Chicago

Hands on Stanzas places Chicago poets in public school classrooms and inner-city youth centers for 20 weeks. The writing and reading of poetry encourages students to explore how words can convey their own thoughts, visions and emotions. As students take ownership of language, vocabularies grow, imaginations spark, books are read, and for some, educational stumbling blocks are conquered. This year, 6,600 students in 63 residencies at 51 Chicago Public schools began their journey into the world of words. This is an anthology of their poetry. --Poetry Center of Chicago.

"The Poetry Center of Chicago is proud to present another year of poetry from the talented students in our Hands on Stanzas program. This year, 3,100 students at 32 schools across the city improved their literacy, and were creatively empowered through the reading, writing, discussion and presentation of poetry. These poems are poignant, provocative, funny, and emotional. They represent the authentic experiences of these young poets and we are proud to give them voice."