7th Grade Poetry

The 7th Grade Poetry Foundation (7GP™) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization on a mission to provide school-based poetry contests to every 7th grade student, in every type of school, in every community. Watch 7th Grade Poets read their poems.

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Tragedies - How Poetry Can Help

When faced with a tragedy, a jumble of complex feelings and questions is brought along with it. A life altering event like this may create an unsettling sense of perception that often leaves one feeling distressed and confused.

Poetry is a productive way to methodically address what is going on with one’s thoughts and feelings. Negativity should never be withheld inside, but released in a constructive way. Writing enables the issue to be explored, broken down, thought out, and expressed into words. Poetry is an outlet that can be used to reach some resolution in a time of need.

See what this commentary is saying about people’s reactions using poetry to the school shootings that occurred in December by clicking the link below.

Poetry in a Time of Tragedy

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The Benefits of Poetry for Us All

The Harvard Business Review posted a powerful article that shines light on The Benefits of Poetry for Professionals, (Click link to read more) but describes capabilities that we can all develop and find important. Poetry is a genre that is essential to personal growth and increases one’s potential.

The ability to simplify the complex into something understandable and achievable is a valuable skill on both a business level and a social level. Poetry enhances the ability to put a situation into perspective and then communicate to others how to properly execute and contribute to the needed solution. Studies show that poetry readers generate more creativity, adding a substantial advantage to one’s set of skills. Poetry also enables its readers to bring a greater purpose and meaning to daily life- a priceless talent.

These are all valuable assets for business leaders (and everyone in the world) to possess, made possible by the incredible power of poetry.

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7GP's Founder and President Selected as a Winner in the 2013 Poetry in Motion Contest!

7GP’s founder and president, Aaron Williams, is a lifelong lover of poetry and is a poet himself. This November he received recognition and was awarded for his poem “Insight,” selected as a winner in the 2013 Poetry in Motion Contest sponsored by Metro Arts in Transit and the Poetry Society of America.

His poem was 1 out of 11 selected in the bi-state regional contest, creating for the first time broad public recognition for his one of his poetry writings. The poem will be officially published and Aaron will formally present his winning poem at an event at the Regional Arts Commission. In 2013 his poem will be featured on MetroLink trains and MetroBus vehicles and their stops and stations. Aaron also received a cash prize of $50.00, which he immediately donated to The 7th Grade Poetry Foundation to appropriately invest in two winning 7th grade students’ cash prizes for the upcoming 2012-2013 7GP Contest.

Poetry in Motion Contest Winners Announced

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7GP Needs Assistance with Film Production

Crowd-funding, recruitment, management and leadership of professional film production personnel and interns: these are just some of the activities that a person could be involved with on behalf of 7GP. This person would work with 7GP’s president to hire and lead the professional film crew and editing staff and work with a variety of other people to produce filming related to our activities, especially our major 2013 event.

To get the process started and sign up, click HERE! You can also learn about the other opportunities we offer by visiting the link above.

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If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.

David Carradine December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009 American Actor

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Accounting and Budgeting Opportunities Available Now with 7GP!

We are in search of volunteers/board members. This person would work with 7GP’s president, our communications staff, and board members to create best practice accounting and budgeting procedures and reporting to the board.  Experience with financial reporting related to grant writing would be a big plus. You’ll become our “numbers” advisor and assist with Excel and PowerPoint presentations and filings.  7GP uses Quicken 2011 for accounting.

Learn more about YOU can do by clicking HERE!

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7GP & the Gender Gap

According to more than a decade of studies from the U.S. Dept. of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics, female students have long outperformed male students in reading and writing. Girls substantially outperformed boys on the grade 7 ELA MCAS exam. Boys are underrepresented in the advanced and proficient categories. Further, the percentage of boys in the failing category (9% statewide) is nearly double the percentage of girls (5% statewide). This trend is evident both in terms of the statewide mean as well as the mean in the ten largest urban areas.

In the last two years, 7GP has proven that its program is helping bridge the gender gap, increasing the percentage of male winners generated in our poetry writing contests by 73%. Our educational literary arts program responds to the existing gender inequality by promoting participation of male students. Now we make gender equality a written requirement for any school's participation.

In the second year of the 7GP program, one school's 7th grade quarterback won our poetry contest.  Not only did this win give poetry a social boost among all students at that school, it showed the boy with athletic gifts that there were alternative arenas in which to compete and succeed.

The data provided in this review is derived from an independent study performed by The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy. Are Boys Making the Grade? Gender Gaps in Achievement and Attainment

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An Opportunity in Publicity, Social Media, Press Relations, and Communications for Volunteers and Board Members!

7GP has a need for a board member or key volunteer to be directly involved with decisions and activities related to press relations, publicity, social media and communications.  You will work with the 7GP president, communications/social media staff, and key collaborators to create another precedent-setting event proven to be a life-changing evening for many in attendance.  We really need someone experienced with working in the media to help us better deliver our message.

To learn more, visit out official website linked below!

Volunteers / Board Members

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Board Members and Volunteers Needed for Event Planning!

With an event growing from a standing-room-only 120-seat venue to a new simulcast-ready 244-seat venue, our filmed and catered event will showcase potentially hundreds of winning 7th grade poets and their poetry. Parents, educators and students from more than 300 invited schools in the region will enter the newly renovated Central Branch of the St. Louis Public Library.

7GP and the person(s) involved with this role will hire and work with an experienced event planner, sponsors, volunteers and others to once again produce a transformative, community-unifying experience for all in attendance.

There are several other areas in which we are offering opportunities. To learn more about what YOU can do, click HERE! 

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7GP is Searching for Volunteers and Board Members!

7GP is looking for volunteers and board members in several areas.  Help kids and contribute to your community by signing up for this great cause! See the list of opportunities here!

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Parents Support the Positive Experience Produced by 7GP for Their Students

Parents, teachers, school administrators and other significant members of the community who were involved in last year’s program gave 7GP an inside look into their personal experiences with the program in their testimonials. Here’s a glance at what the parents had to say.

After the Awards Ceremony in April, Elysha Kennedy’s father reflects on his daughter’s success with being selected as the winner from River Roads Lutheran School. “It gives her more of a sense of knowing what’s out there. It’s something beyond just her school and her neighborhood. It’s something else other than whatever she’s into. So it’s something totally different for her.”

Tracey Lanese Edwards Holmes is the mother of the winning student from Compton Drew Middle School, Jordan Edwards. She was gratified with the positive, eye-opening experience that 7GP provided for her son. “Everybody here shows that there is a need and interest for art. I’m glad that Jordan sees this.”

Grandmother of winner Treveon Sims, Lorraine Goodwin, simply wanted to tell 7GP, “Thank you for giving the kids a chance to express themselves.”

All testimonials are available for viewing on The 7th Grade Poetry Foundation’s official website. Watch them now!

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School Administrator Al Winkelmann Applauds 7GP’s Success

Al Winkelmann is the Associate Superintendent Archdiocese of the St. Louis Catholic Education Office. Winkelmann volunteered to speak in a testimonial for 7GP after he attended the Awards Ceremony in April to support his 20 winning students from the schools within the St. Louis Archdiocese.

Although very proud of all the winners from his schools, he was more pleased with the overall participation. “We’re just delighted that our 7th graders are given this opportunity to focus on writing poetry. So whether they actually won or they just participated in this, we’re just very glad that all the students had this opportunity to have the experience of writing their own poem.”

Winkelmann thought the program had a positive effect on the community as a whole, “I think it’s also a good way for this contest and this event to bring public, private, and parochial students together around something like this. Poetry – it’s something that everybody can have in common and an interest in.”

Click HERE to watch Al Winkelmann’s and other school administrators’ testimonials on 7GP’s official website!

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Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words.

Paul Engle October 12, 1908 – March 22, 1991  American poet, editor, teacher, literary critic, novelist, and playwright

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"If you look and listen carefully you can hear and see poetry in everything." - Tom Schlafly

At the Awards Ceremony in April, Tom Schlafly was the first segment’s presenter and shook hands to congratulate the first 26 winning 7th graders. Schlafly represents a life of achievements as a successful business man, active citizen, and a lover of literature. He speaks in a testimonial for 7GP and gives his take on the whole experience.

“If you judge an activity by what it produces, then I saw 26 very talented young poets in the room today. And somehow 7GP was able to unlock this talent.”

“Being asked to write poems allowed them to express themselves.” As a lover of poetry himself, he asserts that, “there really isn’t a defined line between poetry and the rest of life. If you look and listen carefully you can hear and see poetry in everything.”

Schlafly addresses those who have yet to experience the program by saying, “I think that the 7th Grade Poetry program will certainly have a positive effect on the students who participate. It’s going to make students who might not have been interested in poetry before want to get involved… I think the effect is going to be spectacular.”

Watch Tom Schlafly’s testimonial along with other community leaders now by clicking HERE!

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Youth & Poetry - A Growing Trend

The 7th Grade Poetry Foundation’s main focus is to promote the inner poet that lives inside the youth of today. Young poets have been flourishing more than ever in recent years, as a growing interest and enthusiasm to be involved in poetry seems to be transforming into a prominent trend.

The Poetry Society’s Young Poets of the Year Award is in its 15th year and has received a steady increase in participation, with over 7,000 young poets between the ages of 11 to 17 entered this year. This year’s entrants represent a worldwide spectrum of 46 different nationalities, making it one of the most substantial and significant poetry contests of today.

Check out the link above to read more about The Young Poets of the Year Award.

Just like The Poetry Society, 7GP recognizes the importance of encouraging young people to express themselves through poetry!

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Curriculum Supervisor’s Commendable Reaction to The 7GP Contest

Cathy Cassy is the curriculum supervisor for grades 6-12 in Communication Arts for the St. Louis public school district. She relays a keen interest for the work and results created by The 7th Grade Poetry Contest.

The experience Cassy enjoyed the most, as an educator, was the one-on-one time she got to spend with the 7th graders as a by-product of this program. “It gave me a chance to be back with them in the classroom. I always enjoy that time.”

When asked about how the contest directly affected students in the classroom she said, “It brought a lot of excitement and enthusiasm to our students, particularly for writing. And that’s always a struggle – to get middle school students to want to write.” In addition to that, “They learned about the importance of editing and revising and how important that is to a reader.”

Cassy is a believer that 7GP’s program really added a lot of motivation for the students to be involved in poetry. She refers to the contest as a “great learning opportunity.”

Cathy Cassy’s interview, along with others, is available for viewing on The 7th Grade Poetry's Testimonial Page located on 7GP's official website.

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Positive Feedback From Teachers for 7GP!

Rachael Phillips, a teacher at Melvin Harris and Carr Lane Middle School, was surprised and very excited about how her students reacted to 7GP's program. “It made the students more excited about their work and take it more seriously. It made them take more pride in their work than I have seen them do before.” She continues by saying, “It made me realize the need for my students to have goals to work towards and be rewarded for the work that they do. Just seeing the way it motivated them made me want to do more contests in the classroom.”

Peter Backus, a teacher at Most Holy Trinity Catholic School and Academy, was also surprised by his entire 7th grade class. “It’s not necessarily the kids that score the highest on their tests or make the straight A’s that can really write great poetry. Anybody can write great poetry, and I really think they (the 7th grade students) bought into that concept.”

Backus also speaks about how this teaching experience affected him personally: “I really got to see some of what these kids go through on a daily basis and what really means the most to them… I thought that was one of the cooler things that I got to see – a brief insight into their lives.” He closes his testimonial by saying, “This program really opened my eyes up to how much kids can really appreciate poetry.”

To review all of 7GP's positive feedback visit our testimonials page on our official website by clicking the link below! The 7th Grade Poetry Foundation