Program areas at The Diatribe
The 49507 Project is a Black, Brown, Queer and Youth-led project rooted in colloboration to help make truly public art steered by the community where their pieces will live. This community art will utilize artists that are a reflection of those who have been underserved in The 49507 neighborhood.
Poetry Empowered is a ten session in-school (or after school) program that kicks off with a one hour, interactive Deluxe Assembly for the whole school. We then work directly in a teachers classroom or with up to thirty interested students extracurricularly in ten one-hour sessions. We have three Poetry Empowered programs, one for, Elementary Schools, one Middle Schools, and one for High Schools. Each meet ELA and Social Emotional Learning standards and touch on social issues that our communitys young people witness and face. Through writing exercises and dissecting poems by current world-renowned poets, students learn to apply poetic techniques to their own poetry. Writing sessions with unique prompts and in-depth feedback on both content and performance, result in dynamic and powerful spoken word pieces, which students share for their peers in their own assembly at the end of the program.
Writing to Right Wrongs is a nine week program in partnership with the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan. Diatribe teaching artists lead in-class lessons once a week for nine weeks, teaching students about housing discrimination, red-lining, gentrification, and how housing impacts every aspect of life including water quality and education. The Diatribe brings this content to life with engaging videos and class discussions, informing students of their rights and how the Fair Housing Center can be utilized as a resource in their own lives. Incorporating Spoken Word into these lessons, which culminate in a performance for their peers, empowers young people to write, speak, and engage with their communities while exploring these important issues.
The Diatribe offers free summer programming each year in both Grand Rapids and Muskegon. 5th-12th graders have the opportunity to work with talented Grand Rapids and Muskegon teaching artists, exploring creativity and gaining tools for self-expression and self advocacy as they work on developing their poetic skills. These week-long intensives often take place in mid-July and culminate in a student showcase in both cities. Lunch is provided. Registration opens in May each year.