About Us

Be it spoken word or written expression, the Spoken Word Press aspires to reach youth across boundaries of age, race, class, genders and cultures through poetry. We create a space where young people are supported with the belief that self-expression improves self-confidence and strengthens educational achievement. Not too sure about the impact of this “poetry stuff”? The Spoken Word Press is building on proven models from San Francisco Bay, CA (Youth Speaks), New York City, NY (Urban Word) , and Chicago, IL (Young Chicago Authors) with workshops designed to enhance critical thinking skills, leadership, and ignite a personal commitment to growth and scholastic achievement. The Spoken Word Press works directly with over 3,000 teens each year through school based and community based programs including: The Spoken Word Press empowers the next generation of leaders, self-defined artists, and visionaries by challenging them to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of social change…and doing so fosters our commitment to stronger communities and social awareness.