young artists day resources
Young Artist Day is a multi-venue arts experience that includes poetry readings, workshops, discussions, and musical performances. Each school or group has a unique program for the day. The line-up of poets includes U.S. Poet Laureates, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, slam champions, and some of the most talented emerging voices. The festival line-up includes Kazim Ali, Mahogany Browne, Aracelis Girmay, Tyehimba Jess, Douglas Kearney, Claudia Rankine, Sonia Sanchez, Vincent Toro, Afaa Michael Weaver, and more.
Dodge Poetry is a collaboration between the Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center that celebrates poetry as a catalyst for communities to advance social change.
Through this initiative, Dodge Poetry will expand beyond the biennial festival to include year-long programming in Newark. Dodge Poetry events will:
- Mobilize communities and fuel movements for social change.
- Amplify poet activists who challenge and reframe existing narratives and norms.
- Create spaces for empathy, healing, and repair for individuals who have experienced systemic racism.
Building on 40 years of poetry programming, this collaboration between NJPAC and the Dodge Foundation will extend Dodge Poetry’s footprint across the city of Newark. The events are designed to engage residents, young people, and community partners and to highlight the intersection of poetry and social justice.
NJPAC is the artistic, cultural, educational, and civic center of New Jersey—where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey’s anchor cultural institution, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city.
Established in 1974, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation envisions a just and equitable New Jersey where people of all races and communities have equitable access to opportunities to thrive. Over its 50-year history, the Dodge Foundation has distributed more than $500 million in grants and technical support to New Jersey nonprofits. Today, building on decades of learning, the organization focuses its support on those who are directly addressing the root causes and repair of structural racism and inequity to transform lives in New Jersey.
ABOUT THE NJPAC ON THE MIC PODCAST
NJPAC On the Mic invites your students to expand their experience of attending a SchoolTime Performances show. We provide three podcast episodes for each production, suitably aligned with New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) and New Jersey Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies. With NJPAC on the Mic, the learning begins before—and continues beyond—your visit to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center!
How to Listen to njpac on the mic podcast
BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE
Episode: ABOUT (7 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an introduction to the performance, the artist or company, and the venue.
Includes: An introduction to the experience and a welcome message
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos
Sound editing, sound design, and voiceover by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC Student Hip Hop program
Additional music from Epidemic Sound
Welcome message voiced by Ysabel Y. González
Orignal poem by Aracelis Girmay; read by Ysabel Y. González
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos
AFTER THE PERFORMANCE
Episode: CONNECT (10 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for reflection questions, a closer look at an aspect of the performance such as historical context or background on the art form, and a brief selection of vocabulary words.
Includes: Reflection question, a look at the evolution of spoken poetry, and poetry samples
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos
Sound editing and design by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC Student Hip Hop program
Additional music from Epidemic Sound
Original poems written and read by Amiri Baraka, Peggy Robles Alvarado, and Treasure Borde
Opening question voiced by Treasure Borde
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos
Episode: SPOTLIGHT (10 minutes)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an exclusive interview with an artist from the production or an NJPAC staff member followed by discussion prompts.
Includes: An interview with the NJPAC senior poetry consultant and discussion starters
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos
Sound editing and design by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC Student Hip Hop program
Additional music from Epidemic Sound
Interview guest: Ysabel Y. González
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos
NJPAC On the Mic is produced in partnership with CM Studios.
NJPAC Arts Education performances team: Rosa Hyde, Treasure Borde, and Kendall Lipham
CM Studios producers: Michael Aquino, Dania Ramos
NJPAC and CM Studios are located in Essex County, New Jersey, situated on the traditional territory of the Leni Lenape people.
Episode links and sources
NJPAC | Arts Education programs: njpac.org/arts-education
NJPAC | About NJPAC: njpac.org/about
NJPAC resources | Young Artist Day at the Dodge Poetry Festival: njpac.org/arts-education
Dodge Poetry: njpac.org/series/dodgepoetry | grdodge.org/our-work/dodge-poetry
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation: grdodge.org/about-us
CNN | Spoken word: The roots of poetry: youtu.be/G9qaVXE30FU?si=_jQ2rNUaBpRepwzP*
TED | 10 spoken word performances, folded like lyrical origami: tinyurl.com/mw764fn8*
Modern American Poetry | Amiri Baraka: modernamericanpoetry.org/amiri-baraka*
Peggy Robles Alvarado: robleswrites.com/index.php/about*
Ysabel Y. González: ysabelgonzalez.com*
Poetry City: The Dodge Poetry Festival | Amiri Baraka – “In Town”: youtube.com/watch?v=T6we6rAYyW4&t=203s*
Dodge Poetry | Peggy Robles Alvarado – Soy Boricua”: youtu.be/BnghMuEmGs4?si=fNT72OoImhW4II9n&t=4296*