Office of Arts Education

Poetry Center of Chicago

To fulfill the need for creative learning opportunities in Chicago classrooms, The Poetry Center offers Hands on Stanzas, a dynamic program that enhances literacy through poetry. The program places Chicago poets in public school classrooms for 20 weekly sessions. The poets guide students in reading and discussing the work of published poets, and in writing and presenting their own poetry. At the close of the year students are offered the opportunity to have their work published in an anthology of student work, participate in school-wide projects and present their poetry to the public at cultural venues across the city. The innovative approach of the Hands on Stanzas program to reading and writing improves vocabulary, reading comprehension, public speaking skills, and academic confidence.

Overview of School Programs/Services

Classroom Support/Curricular Alignment