Written by Ingrid Gendler
PAL held its annual Poetry Writing Contest for kids in the citywide After-School Program, and our students got to show off their poetry and art in a digital Poetry Anthology. In this blog post we would like to share with you some of the amazing achievements of our PAL kids, and talk about the importance of arts programs here at PAL.
The theme of PAL’s 2021 Poetry Anthology was “Hope” and PAL’s young writers and artists from across PAL’s after school programs were invited to submit their work to be published virtually in a celebration of creativity and imagination.
PAL’s young poets and artists were able to bring important lessons to life in their work. Through drawings of delicious ice cream sundaes and poems about baseball, our students remind us that we should always look forward to doing the things we love.
In a poem from first grader Anthony at our Harlem Center, we are reminded that “Anything is Possible,” and Thesun, a seventh grader from PAL Polo Grounds Cornerstone tells us that we can do amazing things with open minds and open hearts.
By working on poetry, we hope to inspire our students and readers to open themselves up to the arts and to remember the value of creative thinking and imagination in tough times. The work of our participants reminds us of PAL’s important role in providing a safe place for artistic creation and learning.
You can explore the anthology by clicking here.
Thank you to PAL’s talented participants for sharing their work with the world, their creativity continues to inspire us all.