In Their Own Words: Student Poetry Slams Continue

Release Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Contact:  Erica Fields, Human Relations Council, 937-333-1403

Student poetry slams will continue through March, with slams scheduled at three Dayton high schools.

The slams are forums for creative expression about gun violence and other issues of personal and community concern and are presented by the Dayton Human Relations Council, Dayton Public Schools and Metaphorically Speaking. Community members are welcome to attend.

The top three finalists from each school will compete at a Grand Slam scheduled for April 25. The grand slam winner will have opportunities to perform at venues around Dayton and will receive an all-expenses paid trip sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club of Dayton to a national youth poetry competition in Chicago.

Each participating school will host workshops featuring artists from Metaphorically Speaking to help students with writing and performance skills in preparation for the poetry slams. The partnership of the Dayton Human Relations Council, Dayton Public Schools and Metaphorically Speaking is one of many supporting the work of the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence (CIRGV) and the Community-Police Council (CPC) in speaking out against gun violence.

The program kicked off October 4 with a poetry slam at Dayton Business Technology High School, a public charter school.

For more information, contact the Dayton Human Relations Council at 937-333-1403.  Following is the schedule of the remaining slams:

Thurgood Marshall High School
Friday, March 7, 6:00 p.m.

Meadowdale High School
Thursday, March 13, 3:00 p.m.

Stivers School for the Arts
Friday, March 21, 6:00 p.m.

Grand Slam
Friday, April 25, 8:00 p.m., Sinclair Community College, Great Hall, Building 12