ArtLab + CCN Literacy Workshop

This summer PlatteForum’s ArtLab teamed up with the youth at Colfax Community Network in a literacy workshop series focused on poetry. Though the investigation of various styles of poetry CCN youth will exercise skills in; grammar, parts of speech, reading retention, spelling and much more. Each session rotated through a hands on lesson focused on reading, writing and verbal exercises. This series promoted the use of poetry as a fun and playful approach to language and literacy. This also gives them a connection to language that is relatable to everyday life boosting their confidence and encouraging further interactions with literature. For the first three weeks of the 2016 Summer session ArtLab Interns mentored the 25 youth of CCN through the creation of custom magnetic poetry sets, alliteration poems, and other original pieces. The series started with a conversation around what makes something poetry to which CCN youth addressed the wide spectrum of subject matter in poetry. To them poetry could be anything, about anything, from love to Spiderman it is about expressing your feelings as they put it! PlatteForum would like to thank Redline's AmeriCorps VISTA members, Hayley Krichels and Misha Fraser for their support and the Colfax Community Staff for their commitment to collaboration.