help Arc poetry magazine put poetry in classrooms!

Arc - putting poetry in classrooms

Arc poetry magazine is fundraising to put poetry into classrooms. Check the link here, and possibly help them out!

Arc's new issue is a special issue of poetry for children and youth. You can help us put new Canadian poetry into the hands of young readers across the country.

We are all born with a love of language, a passion for expression and creativity. Babies babble, entertaining themselves with language. But as we get older, many people feel less free to play with words and lose touch with their creative impulses.

Teachers recognize the role poetry can have as a catalyst for unleashing students’ natural interest in language and encouraging their creativity and self-expression. But Canadian schools are constrained by limited budgets and limited time for developing new poetry resources.

That is why Arc Poetry Magazine put together a special issue of poetry for children and youth. And now you can help us put this unique Canadian poetry collection into the hands of young readers across the country.

We’re packing up class sets of our special kids issue, adding ready-to-use lesson plans and teacher resources, and sending Poetry-in-a-Box out to a network of talented teachers across the country that are standing by to bring contemporary, Canadian poetry into their students' lives.

Arc Poetry Magazine is an award-winning magazine that offers the best in Cana­dian poetry and criticism. For over 30 years, Arc has been bringing great poetry to readers in Canada and beyond. Now, Arc’s special issue for children and young readers is here, featuring a diverse and exciting assembly of new and established Canadian poets, including work by Robert Priest, Anne Szumigalski, Barbara Nickel, Paul Tyler, and many others.

And we need your help to put it in the hands of young readers!

“There’s kind of a black hole in grade school,” notes guest editor Jenny Haysom.

“You start with a love of nursery rhymes and cradle songs, and you get less and less as you go through school.” By the time you get to high school and university, poetry appears strange to you, she says. This is the gap we’re trying to fill with our new issue.

Teachers tell us that when young people encounter poetry in school, the results can be magical. Kids who get the right poetry at the right time often make poetry a lifelong companion; but if they miss it, poetry may not find them again.

As Susan Telfer reminds us, “a poem can be a lifeline to a reader.” Whatever we can offer to young people to help them work through their difficult times and connect with creative expression makes all the difference.

“I always wish we had a longer poetry unit in school; we always focus on the older poets . . . there’s just so much out there!” said a Rideau High School student. But as teacher Steve McCormick notes, “if you have to seek it out yourself, it’s overwhelming.”

Join us in bridging that gap! With your support, we can create and deliver Poetry-in-a-Box to Canadian teachers from coast-to-coast, fresh from today’s contemporary poets; adopt a classroom today and help us cultivate the next generation of poets and poetry lovers!

*If you can't donate today, you can help us by sharing the campaign on facebook or twitter (sharing tools on this page), or telling friends, or commenting on the campaign here on IndieGoGo. Thank you!*

While we have your attention, if you're a high-school teacher who wants to be on the receiving end of the Arc poetry-class-in-a-box, raise your hand by emailing classroom@arcpoetry.ca with your shipping details - we'll put you on the list!