IF YOU DON’T LEARN TO WRITE YOUR OWN LIFE

STORY, SOMEONE ELSE WILL WRITE IT FOR YOU.

WWW.POWERPOETRY.ORG

TEENS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

95% of all U.S. youth have access to internet.

74% Have access via mobile device.

1 in 4 are “cell-mostly” internet users—often

low-income youth.

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Sources: Pew Research Center, 2013. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-and-

Tech.aspx

World Bank, 2012. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.P2/countries

YOUTH LIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA…

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Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/facebook-texting-teens-instagram-snapchat-

most-popular-social-network/373043/

…BUT TEXTING RULES!

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Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/03/19/teens-smartphones-texting/

TEENS ARE READING AND WRITING MORE THAN EVER

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Sources:

Today’s youth read and write with digital

technologies: blogs, texts/SMS, apps and social

media.

WRITING MORE DOESN’T MEAN WRITING WELL

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Source: National Center for Educational Statistics, 2011.

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main2011/2012470.asp#section1

POETRY REBORN IN THE DIGITAL AGE

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POETRY BUILDS LITERACY SKILLS

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Source: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/hughes.pdf

Expand oral and written

vocabulary

Build reading fluency

Increase oral

communication skills

Motivate youth to write

more

Provide social-emotional

learning and support

READING AND WRITING IN REAL TIME

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Source: ADD SOURCE

What happens when you combine digital technologies,

social impact, and literacy building?

INTRODUCING POWERPOTRY.ORG

Largest online/mobile site for teens and poetry

in the U.S. launched in April 2012.

+160 countries reached

+185,000 Poems

+188,000 Poets

+130,000 Monthly Traffic

+30% Mobile Traffic

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WRITE YOUR OWN LIFE STORY

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PROMOTING EMPOWERED LITERACY

Social impact leveraged as a tool for learning

and engagement

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POETRY FOR SOCIAL IMPACT

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Social Impact Guides inspire poets to move from writing

about issues to taking action in their communities and

beyond.

“Dear Earth/forgive our hands/and hearts for

taking/without permission.”

Mary Anne Rojas

SLAMS ON SOCIAL

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Digital poetry slams respond to current events like the

Boston shootings, #IamJada, #BringBackOurGirls and

Ferguson.

SOCIAL IMPACT MEETS SOCIAL LEARNING

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WRITING TIPS AND INSPIRATION

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Over 60 poetry writing Tip Guides

25 Action Guides that link poetry to social impact

WRITING TIPS AND INSPIRATION

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How to Write an Ode (55, 700 views per month)

How to Write Spoken Word Poetry (25,500 views per

month) How to Write a Ballad (23,500 views per month)

How to Write a Love Poem (20,400 views per month)

How to Write a Rap (13,200 per month)

DIGITAL POETRY IN THE CLASSROOM

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DIGITAL WRITING AND READING

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Technology that promotes creative writing and

editing, and digital literacy

SUPER POETS

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WHERE OUR POETS LIVE

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TIME SPENT WRITING

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32% of writing sessions were between 10 and 30 minutes

25% of writing sessions were between 3 and 10 minutes

18% of writing sessions were longer than 30 minutes

Source: Google Analytics: August 2014

PROMOTING READING

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Poems, Tip Guides, Digital Slams and Action

Guides written by youth for youth

TIP GUIDES ON YOUTUBE

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READING AND WRITING ON SOCIAL

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Active on social to meet

teens where they are

Promote social sharing

of poems, Tips, videos

and other poetic

resources

THE POETICS OF (BIG) DATA

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Exploring the literacy-building potential of digital

poetry with non-profit SumAll.org

POETRY, LITERACY, DATA

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Our initial research suggests a positive correlation

between using Power Poetry and building literacy

skills—but much more work needs to be done.

OUR ROOTS

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Power Poetry inspired by in-school writing program

Power Writers and documentary film To Be Heard.

2015—AND BEYOND!

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Build community

Increase engagement

Empower and inspire

literacy

FIND OUT MOREWWW.POWERPOETRY.ORG

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