Writers in the Schools (WITS)

Happy New Year from Writers in the Schools!!! We hope that you bring in the new year with lots of joy and a conquering spirit!!

Tomorrow is January 1st, 2023!

The new year comes with many possibilities and opportunities, you have to believe you have the ability to make them a reality!

2 days away!!!

What are you looking forward to the most come January 2023?

The countdown begins we are just 3 days away from the new year!

Whatever your cause, there's a group in Houston lending a hand. You can too. [Editorial]

Big shoutout to the Houston Chronicle for featuring us in their “Tis the season for giving. Consider these Houston nonprofits” Editorial!(WITS) has worked hand-in-hand with educators and professional writers to teach students the craft of writing.

Whatever your cause, there's a group in Houston lending a hand. You can too. [Editorial] Whether supporting gay and trans youth, the arts in schools, people experiencing homelessness, refugees, these Houston nonprofits and charities are good options for giving.

We are so glad to have Outspoken Bean on our team!!!

____
Emanuelee Bean, also known as “Outspoken Bean,” was the first poet to perform on Houston Ballet’s main stage with their production “Play.” He has been commissioned to write and perform a national campaign on diversity for Pabst Blue Ribbon and VICE, while creating and producing his own festival, Plus Fest: The Everything Plus Poetry Festival. Born in New Jersey and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Outspoken Bean serves as Houston’s poet laureate through 2023. In 2022, Bean received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship.

Don't forget, today is the last day to register for our 2022 Winter Camp Intensive and our scholarship opportunity!

To register, visit witshouston.org/wci

Our WITS team wants to wish you a Happy Holiday Season!!

“To read a poem is to hear it with our eyes; to hear it is to see it with our ears.” —Octavio Paz

Thanks to the generosity of our friends and partners at Project Row Houses , Writers in the Schools is able to offer a scholarship for our upcoming Winter Intensive. This scholarship has been created to give IBPOC students a chance to engage with WITS programming at no cost to the student or their family.

The WITS Winter Intensive 2022 will take place Dec. 28-30, 2022 at the Inprint House at 1520 W. Main St. Winter Intensive is open to middle and high school students ages 13-19, who are interested in working on developing a portfolio of work alongside accomplished Houston writers.

A link to the scholarship application can be found on the WITS Website.

To register click here >>> witshouston.org/wci

Rashaad Newsom is an ambitious leader who resolves complex problems with creative solutions. He received his MBA from Texas Southern University and his Bachelor's degree in Public Relations Management from Clark Atlanta University. He has more than 15 years of work experience in various fields. He's gained essential skills in accounting policy/ procedure, communications, project/ program management, and relationship building.

Congratulations to Ariana Lee for winning Young Arts 2023 Writing Award for Spoken Word.

Winners are chosen for their caliber of artistic achievement by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process.

Check her out https://youngarts.org/winners

Are You Registered? You don't want to miss out on this opportunity for your student to further develop their portfolio and have access to phenomenal mentorship. You still have time to register!

Click here to register your student >> witshouston.org/wci

Date Time:
December 28th - 30th
9am - 2pm

Location:
1414 Sul Ross, Houston, TX 77006 or
join via zoom

Facilitators
Current Houston Poet Laureate
Outspoken Bean
WITS Writer - Aris Kian Brown

Madeleine Gaudin: Program Associate - UofH Fellow

Madeleine Gaudin is a writer, editor, and educator originally from Austin, Texas. Madeleine comes to WITS with a background in elementary education, having served as a Teach for America Corps Member in Detroit Public Schools Community District. She has received training and specialization in English and literacy intervention. Through that work, she has developed a passion for the role of creative expression in equitable education. Madeleine has a BA in English and Film Studies from the University of Michigan and is a current MFA candidate in fiction at the University of Houston.

You still have time to register!! This year’s Winter Camp Intensive for 8th-12th grade students is going to be amazing! You will get to learn from the talented Houston Poet Laureate Outspoken Bean and writer Aris Kian Brown! Spaces are limited so register today.

Register at witshouston.org/wci

"As I write, I create myself again and again." -

Writing is powerful in that it allows for the discovery and definition of one's own story.

Writing an Autobiography is a way for someone to share and understand their life journey. What would you title your autobiography and why?

Today is National Write a Letter Day! In the age of smartphones and laptops, it is rare to find time to sit and write a handwritten letter. If you were to write someone a letter who would it be and why?

Raie Crawford (she/her/they/them) is a Wiley College Alumna from Houston, Texas. As a two-time Houston VIP Slam Champion and 2017-2018 Houston Performance Poet of the Year, Raie is ranked among the top 20 among the Women of the World Poetry Slam and top 25 within the rankings of the Individual World Poetry Slam. In 2018 she released her first book “In Between |Space|” which captures the journey and movement of black bodies in today’s society.

A 2021 graduate of Rice University’s Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, Raie continues to deepen her roots in youth development centering an equity lens to the work she does in our communities. Holding several certifications in Diversity and Inclusion as well as art equity practices, Raie values making sure those who have been pushed into the margins are heard so that they can truly be served.

Join us for a night of celebration!

Over the past 40 years WITS has been on a journey to inspire students to use their writing and voices to promote change in the educational and communal sphere. Working in schools, hospitals, community centers and more, our stories are inked onto the pages of the City of Houston and beyond.

On this journey we as an organization have learned what it means to truly be leaders and advocates of the literary arts. We have unearthed and challenged our past as we eagerly wait for our story to continue to unfold. Alongside our funders, partners, writing community, teachers, and students we continue to write our story with the same passion and joy seen in each of our classrooms. As we continue this odyssey, we welcome you to join our story.

We're hiring!!!

Please visit witshouston.org/jobs/wits-writers if you are interested in applying.

Today is the day!



Your gift will automatically initiate access to our programming for a student who needs us the most! Please use this direct link ( https://bit.ly/3gJj9b0 ) to easily donate to WITS, and become a beloved member of our community, forever!
 
Thanks to our donor village, we will always commit to engaging children in the joy and power of reading and writing.

Swipe Left >>>>

Join us tomorrow in the global initiative to transform the world!

is a time to support the organizations that are supporting your communities.

Here at WITS we are revolutionizing the way reading and writing are taught---nurturing the growth of the imagination and awakening students to the adventures of language.

Please use the link ( bit.ly/3gJj9b0 ) to join our donor village!

Is your student interested in creating a portfolio of work for future literacy projects? Do they have a passion for mentorship that centers writers' craft? Are they interested in support in their desire to apply to be the next Houston Youth Poet Laureate? Writers in the Schools is thrilled to offer a winter intensive that focuses on middle school and high school students. We will be offering in person and online spots for students who would like to engage in 3 days of intentional and impactful writing through the winter break.

Apply at witshouston.org/wci

We would love for everyone to meet Tina Angelo. Tina has been with us for a while, but she is now serving as Acting Managing Director of Programs! We are so glad to have Tina on our team!

RSVP HERE - https://witshouston.formstack.com/forms/2022hyplcommencement

Join our friends at Inprint Monday, October 10th for a fabulous reading from New York Times bestseller Maggie O'Farrell! For $5 tickets and more info, visit inprint.org.

Writers in the Schools is excited to bring back its monthly YOUTH OPEN MIC SERIES!!!!

The second Free Verse event will be held at Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. !

Come out and share your work.

Location: 2306 Stuart St, Houston, TX 77004

Day: Saturday, October 8

Time: 6PM - 8:30PM CT

Ages: 13-19

NO SIGN UP NEEDED

Join our friends at Inprint October 3rd for a fabulous reading from New York Times bestseller Javier Zamora! For $5 tickets and more info, visit inprint.org.

Houston's Youth Poet Laureate Announcement - https://mailchi.mp/witshouston/youth-poet-laureate-announcement