P3- Poets & Poetry Program

Call for Poet Teachers for the Lake County Arts Council’s Poets and Poetry Program (P3)

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UPDATE:
We have identified the schools (Kelseyville and Upperlake) that will be served this year. We have flown and received applications for teaching artists and are currently selecting and pairing teaching artists with classes. Classes will happen during the 2023-3024 school year. 

The Lake County Arts Council, with support from the California Arts Council, is seeking experienced Poet Teachers to teach 10 one-hour sessions in 11th-grade high school classes in local Lake County High Schools. Classes will be held at Upper Lake High School, Kelseyville High School, and Lloyd P Hance Community The purpose of this program is to inspire students to pursue poetry and encourage them to participate in the Lake County Arts Council’s other literary arts programs, such as Poetry Out Loud and Youth Poet Laureate.

We are seeking Poet Teachers who have a strong background in poetry, including historical knowledge and experience presenting different poetry styles. Additionally, Poet Teachers should be able to provide tips on how to compose one’s own poetry, as this program aims to help students develop their own poetic voices. Poet Teachers will also be helping students compile a portfolio and resume to aid in their post-high school success. 

Poet Teachers will be provided with a skeleton lesson plan, which they can personalize by incorporating their favorite poets, poems, and poetic preferences. We encourage our instructors to draw from their own experiences and interests in poetry to create an engaging and dynamic learning environment for our students.

As the program will take place on school grounds, Poet Teachers may be required to undergo fingerprinting and a background check. The Lake County Arts Council will provide guidance and payment for these fees as necessary.

In addition to developing lesson plans and materials for each session, Poet Teachers will be responsible for leading interactive activities and assignments to engage students with poetry. We are looking for dynamic and enthusiastic instructors who are passionate about sharing their love of poetry with the next generation of writers.

If you are a Poet Teacher with experience in teaching and a passion for poetry, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people in our community. Poet Teachers will be required to be fingerprinted. Please submit your resume, a cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest in the position, and samples of your artistic work to the Lake County Arts Council at apply@lakearts.org. All applications should be submitted by 6/30/23.

The Lake County Arts Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We’re committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.

Thank you for your interest in this program and for your dedication to promoting the literary arts in our community. We look forward to hearing from you!

ARTISTS IN SCHOOLS 2022-2024 Grant: General Information

These California Arts Council funds will be managed through the Lake County Arts Council by the Lake County Arts Council Executive Director, Barbara Clark. Funds must be spent on the teaching artist’s salary and art supplies.

Description of Purpose: 

The Artist in Schools Grant is a collaboration between the Lake County Arts Council, LCOE, the Youth Poet Laureate program, Upper Lake High School, and Kelseyville High School.

The poetry workshops will be a minimum of 10, 1-hour workshops over a 2-year period with Teaching Artists. Current identified Teaching Artists including P3 Coordinator Michelle Krueger. Teaching Artists will hold poetry writing, and performance workshops to support students’ interest, and skill development in reading, performing, and writing poetry. Within these sessions, we will also offer support for the new Lake County Youth Poet Laureate application process. The workshops will be held in the school libraries, as curricular and student support and enrichment. 

Without outreach, the new Youth Poet Laureate program will struggle to find student applicants. These workshops will support students who are interested in poetry and who have no avenue into, or exposure to this art form. By offering exposure to professional and celebrated local writers we will have the opportunity to engage students with the creative writing process in a dynamic way, as well as expose them to reading and performing poetry. Through this opportunity, we will also promote the county and statewide Poetry Out Loud contest, which the Lake County Arts Council also runs. 

Dana Adams, LCOE Learning Support Specialist, works with Coordinator Michelle Krueger and collaborates with the schools, and support the ELA teachers in integrating these workshops into their curriculum. As stated on page 77 of the California Common Core State Standards English Language Arts & Literacy: poetry is one of the text types required for students to apply the reading standards. 

LANGUAGE FROM GRANT

The Artists in Schools (AIS) program supports projects that integrate community arts partners into culturally and linguistically responsive, sequential, standards-based arts learning for students in preschool through Grade 12 as part of the regular school day, and that address the unique circumstances of the school environment. The intent of the program is to augment and enhance the work of classroom teachers and school-based arts programs by bringing arts resources within the local community into the school culture, not to supplant credentialed arts teachers. AIS projects focus on hands-on participant learning that takes place over a sustained period (typically a minimum of 10 class sessions) with an identified group(s) of students. Program Goals Projects should address the following Artists in Schools program goals:

• Increase student access to and participation in school-based arts education as part of coordinated efforts with school site leaders, district staff, and county Offices of Education.
• Develop the artistic abilities of students through sequential, hands-on arts learning.
• Promote life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and positive self-expression through the arts.
• Promote students’ positive social and emotional development through reflection and creative practice. 2022 CAC Artists In Schools Guidelines
• Promote culturally and linguistically responsive learning through the arts, using cultural knowledge to support the cultural assets of the local community and students’ positive self-identification and respect for diverse cultures.
• Develop long-term, mutually beneficial relationships between arts and educational organizations, teaching artists, and the youth and families in the communities they serve.

Program Timeline 

January – July 2023 Preparation; Teaching Artists Selected, Curriculum Developed, TA & Schools Matched,
Schedules Developed. Supplies Purchased.
September – Dec 2023 Workshops
January – June 2024 Workshops & Performance
July – December 2024 Post discussions with participating TAs, teachers, librarians, etc. Collect Data for
Reporting, Closing all financial Accounts, and preparing reports for CAC.