THE RISE OF POETRY
Each year, The Arts at Riverside County Office of Education holds two competitions that center on poetry; “If I Speak, Will You Listen?” Spoken Word Invitational and the Teen Poet Laureate competition. Senior Katie Xin has been a winner of both events, as well as the statewide Amanda Gorman Young Voices competition. In this month’s newsletter, we interviewed her about her experiences with the art of the written and spoken word.

How did the Teen Poet Laureate program really solidify and expand your interest in poetry?
The Teen Poet Laureate program taught me that poetry lives in all of us. Whether it was presenting for the RCOE State of Education event or reading at my local libraries, I found that the written word has the power to unite. My time as Teen Poet Laureate was deeply inspiring, as I discovered that my words could make an impact, something that was unbeknownst to me prior. Meeting other teen poets caused me to make my interest in poetry more public and community oriented. The Teen Poet Laureate program changed my life, intensifying my passion for poetry and altering my approach to it.

Did the Spoken Word competition change your goals or plans for poetry?
In a sense, yes. My poetry has always been something I’ve kept to myself. However, standing on that stage in front of dedicated educators and equity champions, I felt that poetry could do so much more in the public eye. I once said in an interview that the ‘scariest part about sharing your work is that when you read it, I never know if you will resonate with it, or if you will think I need help. The risk is worth it sometimes.’ I’m comfortable with taking the risk because I’ve witnessed the joy and community that come with sharing your art. For me, art has become something outside of the self. The Spoken Word competition taught me that self-expression could be liberatory for the collective, not just the individual.

What has your experience been with encouraging other young poets to write and perform?
The night of the Teen Poet Laureate ceremony, I realized how magical connecting with other young poets was. Although the time we spent together was brief, we connected over our love of the art form and how we didn’t see ourselves as poets. The label “poet” is so heavy, and I think its connotations often deter people from participating in poetry.

To continue the magic, I formed The Imperfect Poets (TIP), a literary arts and social justice organization that seeks to bring poetry to more young people. We’ve done this through several open mic events and workshops across Riverside County, collaborations with other community-based organizations, and features of young poets’ work. We’re currently expanding our team and projects, so we’ll have more to
announce soon. This organization is a love letter to all young creatives and the communities of inland SoCal. If you are interested in learning more about TIP, please visit linktr.ee/imperfect_poets or contact us at theimperfectpoets@gmail.com.

How do you think the written and spoken word has changed your life?
I have made so many close friends through spoken word and at poetry events. I think there is something irreplicable about the immediate connection that comes from sharing your writing. You learn about a person, their outlook on the world, and their lives. Also, I feel that every person needs a creative outlet, and the written word has been that for me. In a more personal sense, poetry has acted as my voice and as my outlook on life. Poetry has taught me to be more observant, reflective, and
appreciative of the human experience.

What are your future plans? Do they include poetry?
I am currently working on a chapbook, which has only taught me more about myself as a poet and person. Here’s hoping it is the first of many. As a high school senior, I am also currently applying to college. It’s important to me that the place I end up studying at has a strong literary arts/creative scene. I’m considering minoring in English/creative writing and might do an MFA someday. I know that I’ll be a writer for the rest of my life, but I’m thrilled at the possibilities of what that might look like.
Part of the beauty of being a writer is being boundless. Speaking more metaphysically, I attempt to live and love like a poet, which I’ve interpreted to be an optimistic and contemplative lifestyle. 

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 1

Innovative approaches for equitable and exciting opportunities in the visual and performing arts for students during school closures from Riverside County Arts leads.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 2

Meridy Volz's "Art with Heart" program at Indio Juvenile Hall was an instant success, and she was determined to continue teaching even as COVID-19 prevented her from entering the facility.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 3

The Our Town Cultural Arts Program brings the cultural arts into elementary school classrooms in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, engaging students in the traditions and cultures of the citizens who make up our community and the students who sit in our classrooms.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 4

Lady Lead (LL) was founded five years ago by Louisa Higgins, Visual and Performing Arts, and Sarah Scheideman, Artist from Palm Springs Unified School District as a way for middle school girls of promise to interact with female art mentors while doing an arts and crafts project.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 5

Riverside Unified School District's performing arts students join in a partnership project with the community.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 6

In the spring of 2020 the Val Verde Unified School District initiated a Student Quarantine Art Contest, inspired by the Getty Challenge. Students were asked to select a piece of artwork from Google Arts and Culture and re-create it.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 7

The Moreno Valley Unified School District’s Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program was reinvented in 2015 as an investment for all students and has proven to be an exceptional program with its recent Golden Bell Award designation.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 8

In this month’s edition of Amplifying the Arts, we would like to celebrate the California School Board Association Golden Bell Award received by Murrieta Valley Unified School District’s VAPA program called Horizons Unlimited. 

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 9

Riverside County Office of Education, Visual and Performing Arts, is proud to partner with the McCallum Theatre Education to present its online series.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 10

Riverside County Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) is pleased to partner with Desert X to announce its student and family resources for the 2021 Exhibition.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 11

The Riverside County Office of Education is proud to support Mono County Office of Education (MCOE), which is one of the four collaborative counties in the Region 10 service region of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA).

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 12

As we start a new school year, RCOE VAPA would like to share several noteworthy arts recognitions in Riverside County from the spring and summer, as well as a few new events just around the corner.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 13

Riverside County Office of Education Visual and Performing Arts partnered with Inlandia Institute to create the inaugural Riverside County Teen Poet Laureate event. 

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 14

In the Spring of 2021, Louisa Higgins, Arts Administrator, and Peggy Burt, Arts
Consultant, began an in-depth study of the new Arts Framework, which was published in 2020.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 15

Riverside County Office of Education Visual and Performing Arts is pleased to partner with the Palm Springs Art Museum to promote their new online program.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 16

RCOE VAPA is partnering with CSSSA to get the word out about their Summer School for the Arts!

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 17

The past two years have seen our share of individual and collective trauma based on the effects of the worldwide pandemic. RCOE VAPA continually strives to make arts trainings available that are topical and relevant. One such offering is “Documenting Trauma Through Comics.”

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 18

Riverside County Office of Education is partnering with The Redlands Symphony to promote this year’s OrKIDstra music education program to you and your students; an original animated video of a performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s immortal Peter and the Wolf.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 19

Louisa Higgins, Arts Administrator and Jeannine Flores, Los Angeles County Office of Education Arts & STEAM Coordinator have just wrapped up their yearlong project on behalf of CCSESA. Their revised unit of the Creativity at the Core Module 12 is entitled Leadership in Arts Education.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 20

Louisa Higgins, Arts Administrator and Jeannine Flores, Los Angeles County Office of Education Arts & STEAM Coordinator have just wrapped up their yearlong project on behalf of CCSESA. Their revised unit of the Creativity at the Core Module 12 is entitled Leadership in Arts Education.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 21

The Arts at Riverside County Office of Education is very pleased to be able to partner with KQED in sharing some free and valuable resources for Riverside County teachers.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 22

Louisa Higgins, Arts Administrator and Jeannine Flores, Los Angeles County Office of Education Arts & STEAM Coordinator have just wrapped up their yearlong project on behalf of CCSESA.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 23

Arts as Life! is very low cost (only $23.00 per teacher/class) and open to all TK–12 teachers, administration, staff, and counselors.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 24

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 26

New for 2023 is the RCOE Get Your Style On Fashion + Art Competition. This contest gave the opportunity to link the worlds of art and fashion through a creation while showing off one’s creativity and design prowess!

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 27

Louisa Higgins, Arts Administrator and Jeannine Flores, Los Angeles County Office of Education Arts & STEAM Coordinator undertook a yearlong project on behalf of the California County Superintendents. Their revised unit of the Creativity at the Core Module 12 is entitled Leadership in Arts Education.

Amplifying the Arts, Volume 28

This edition of Amplifying the Arts highlights the RCOE partnership with the Palm
Springs Young Playwrights Festival (PSYPF). PSYPF promotes and encourages theatrical creative writing to all elementary, middle, and high school students within Riverside County.