IN CITY CLASSROOMS, THEY SPEAK OUT FOR BETTER LIVES

Remember as a child being encouraged to draw, write, paint, dance, or play a musical instrument? The joy of expressing yourself and your own inner spirit? For many kids who suffer the effects of poverty, crime and abuse, self-expression is not only left out of their upbringing, it's actively discouraged.

Michele Kotler didn't know she had a talent for writing poetry until a perceptive teacher recognized her ability. Thus began a new start - one in which Michele gained the skills and self-esteem required to become a teacher and writer herself. Michele went on to found Community-Word Project (CWP) so that she could share that power with others.

Finding Their Voices, Redefining Their Futures

CWP's programs teach disadvantaged young people how to reach repressed feelings and turn them into powerful forces in their lives. Each child receives the attention of two teaching artists, two interns and a classroom teacher. The CWP team helps develop the student's writing, performance and visual arts abilities as a way to promote literacy, emotional growth, and leadership skills. As students put their ideas and emotions onto the page, stage and canvas, they learn the power of words - and in the process gain a vision for a different future.

CWP serves more than 900 students of African-American, Latino and Asian descent, many of whom are from immigrant families that do not speak English. The Catalog is pleased to support CWP's efforts to give more of these deserving young people a voice.