Last Tuesday, July 21st DCPL SYEP Supervisors Hosted a Creative Writing session for the summer youth employees. Teens ages 16-21 who work within the DC Public Library workshopped and wrote poems on the subjects of hip hop, love etc. The theme for this summers reading program within the DC Public libraries is "Express Yourself" and vulgar, heartfelt, sad, joyous, beautiful, political and expressive the participants were. Here are a few of the poems submitted during the workshop. No one poem is better than any other, but we only have space for a few, so here goes! For the confidentiality of the writers I will not post their names.
Struggle to the Top
By. E.
A struggling man
fights his way to the top
he faces blind turns
and rough edges along the way
not turning back
for a single second
he keeps going
following his hearts path
not paying any attention
to all of the obstacles
being thrown in his way
he goes around them
any other way he can
to avoid the walls
after numerous years
of fighting and climbing
he does it
he reaches the summit
he is accepted as a black man
and it took a lifetime
Untitled
By Another E.
Definetly not a poet
I dunno Ive always thought
writing is something to do
only when you have something to say, like talking
i used to hear alot of
amateur writing about love
like...
" I am a flower and you are my sun... i wilt without you"
eventually its not even cute
or funny anymore
when she was writing the third suggestion, on the board
i thought she was writing "death"
it just seemed like the natural thing
hip-hop then love then death
i like Elijahs handwriting
is this a free write then?
this is the cheeriest ive ever seen Cam
ive lost any flow i had
i kinda like assignments like this
they remind me of stuff
i knew about my self before
but forgot
The Heart of a Nation
By L.B.
Music pulsates
cars speed
people walk...
the heart beats
school bells ring
diplomats congregate
elevators carry people &
the heart beats
the center of the universe, in a world all its own. yet the center of a world that sees the everyday actions
the heart continues to beat
each avenue brings a life different from the one before each street breathes a newness that cant be found anywhere
but in the heart of a nation
inside the skyscrapers
inside of the departments and heads of state
inside the landmarks and monuments
beats the heart of a nation
DC Public Library Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
DC Blog Poppin' is proudly a part of the DC Public Library's summer youth employment program. Of the many special projects the teens are able to choose from, blogging is one of them. During this year's summer program the SYEP teens working in the blogging special project will be putting this blog together. Teens will be preparing and updating the blog weekly before it goes live as a link connected to the DC public library's website to be mainted throughout the year by the library's teens of distinction. Stay tuned as the teens continue to manage the blog and update topics and issues that are relevant to teens in the District of Columbia.
SYEP @ DC Public Library
And you thought the library was boring!...The DC Public Library, Martin Luther King, Jr central branch, and its 23 other branches have become the poster child for the Summer Youth Employment Program in DC. Over the summer, hundreds of the district's teens ages 14-21 are given jobs to gain professional experience in a field of their choice and most importantly make money. The DC Public Library this summer has employed nearly 100 teens giving them experience with working at local libraries in the district, reading to children through the book buddies program, working on special projects and engaging in developmental workshops.
Although working at their neighborhood library is a major part of their job description, there are also special projects that meet once or twice a week in the morning. Of these special project groups there are: Video production, journalism and teen guides, which meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Then there are our special project, blogging, as well as marketing/outreach, event planning and audio production who meet Tuesday mornings. The teens with the help and guidance of their supervisors are collaborating to put together these special projects throughout the summer.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, the teens are at their recreation center reading to their book buddies. Our partnering rec centers are Hillcrest, Sherwood, Bald Eagle, Kennedy and Benning Stoddert. On other afternoons the teens are engaging in various development workshops dealing with issues such as professionalism, financial management, healthy relationships, domestic violence, creative writing/poetry and spoken word, and many others. Keep it locked to the blog as we keep you up to date on the progress of the library's SYEP projects.
Although working at their neighborhood library is a major part of their job description, there are also special projects that meet once or twice a week in the morning. Of these special project groups there are: Video production, journalism and teen guides, which meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Then there are our special project, blogging, as well as marketing/outreach, event planning and audio production who meet Tuesday mornings. The teens with the help and guidance of their supervisors are collaborating to put together these special projects throughout the summer.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, the teens are at their recreation center reading to their book buddies. Our partnering rec centers are Hillcrest, Sherwood, Bald Eagle, Kennedy and Benning Stoddert. On other afternoons the teens are engaging in various development workshops dealing with issues such as professionalism, financial management, healthy relationships, domestic violence, creative writing/poetry and spoken word, and many others. Keep it locked to the blog as we keep you up to date on the progress of the library's SYEP projects.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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