Writing for Life With major support from the John R. Oishei Foundation, Young Audiences is in our third year of providing Writing for Life to young people in partnership with Renaissance Campus, Compass House Resource Center, and People, Inc. These organizations serve young people with special needs who are recovering from drug addictions, escaping unsafe home environments or life on the streets, or are developmentally disabled. This unusual collaboration is a natural partnership: each organization strives to enhance young people’s development and learning and increase their sense of self-worth in order to provide them with the tools to be successful and productive individuals within their communities. Writing for Life is a 10 to 12 week residency with writer/ poet, Sherry Robbins and visual artist Kristen Crosson. The students are lead through writing and visual arts workshops; they are inspired through found imagery and create poetry and related visual art. Gayle Danley, an award winning slam poet who deals with grief and healing, loss, urban life, and the importance of friendships, presents workshops and a performance to kick off the residency. Another good day. As on the 5th, one of the girls wrote about her “lost” baby (not sure of the details) and was upset, but this time wanted me to read it aloud. Everyone participated. There was great support for those who read, and some real depth to the poems…Even Lewis, who excels at rap poetry but resists other kinds, got into the found poem exercise after some initial complaining. - Quote from Sherry Robbins’ journal Writing for Life concludes with a final reading by participants for family, friends, staff, and appropriate community members, followed by a small reception to celebrate their achievements Read Student poetry here.For each of these three years, approximately 250 young people have been served. The Peter C. Cornell Trust, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, New York State Alliance for Arts Education, the Partners for Arts Education Technical Assistance Program, and the Baird Foundation, has provided additional support for this program. Writing for Life originated in 2002 with support from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. We thank the John R. Oishei Foundation for their long term support.

∞ 2/18/2009 (4:44pm)

Writing for Life

With major support from the John R. Oishei Foundation, Young Audiences is in our third year of providing Writing for Life to young people in partnership with Renaissance Campus, Compass House Resource Center, and People, Inc. These organizations serve young people with special needs who are recovering from drug addictions, escaping unsafe home environments or life on the streets, or are developmentally disabled. This unusual collaboration is a natural partnership: each organization strives to enhance young people’s development and learning and increase their sense of self-worth in order to provide them with the tools to be successful and productive individuals within their communities.

Writing for Life is a 10 to 12 week residency with writer/ poet, Sherry Robbins and visual artist Kristen Crosson. The students are lead through writing and visual arts workshops; they are inspired through found imagery and create poetry and related visual art. Gayle Danley, an award winning slam poet who deals with grief and healing, loss, urban life, and the importance of friendships, presents workshops and a performance to kick off the residency.

Another good day. As on the 5th, one of the girls wrote about her “lost” baby (not sure of the details) and was upset, but this time wanted me to read it aloud. Everyone participated. There was great support for those who read, and some real depth to the poems…Even Lewis, who excels at rap poetry but resists other kinds, got into the found poem exercise after some initial complaining. - Quote from Sherry Robbins’ journal


Writing for Life concludes with a final reading by participants for family, friends, staff, and appropriate community members, followed by a small reception to celebrate their achievements

Read Student poetry here.

For each of these three years, approximately 250 young people have been served. The Peter C. Cornell Trust, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, New York State Alliance for Arts Education, the Partners for Arts Education Technical Assistance Program, and the Baird Foundation, has provided additional support for this program. Writing for Life originated in 2002 with support from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. We thank the John R. Oishei Foundation for their long term support.

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