“We put students in the driver's seat and center their voices by ceding creative control to them. They write. They share. They inspire.”
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“In case you missed our Poetry Express event on Instagram Live last month, you can still tune into community radio station WERU (89.9 FM) Sundays at 9:30am to hear poems by Telling Room students!”
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“We are sending out some big time gratitude to a few of our generous funders today—thank you for believing in The Telling Room, our students, and our community.”
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“Greely High sophomore Devin Giffords wrote "The Unraveling" during a fellowship for young writers at The Telling Room in Portland.”
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“On behalf of the board of directors, we thank Celine for her deep commitment to The Telling Room’s work of empowering youth through writing, and sharing their voices with the world.”
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“After nearly five years of joy as The Telling Room’s executive director, I have come to the decision that it is time to step aside to spend time with my family and invite in a new leader for the organization.”
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“Didon Maombi Heri was selected for her passion and engagement in a wide variety of activities, internships, and leadership positions, as well as her strong academic performance.”
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“Enan joined C. Love almost immediately, bringing her Iraqi culture, and many talents from photography and psychology to her work.”
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“‘We listen to each other, laugh, share stories, crack jokes and also act serious if needed,’ Mohamed said. ‘Even though it’s all virtual at least there is a place for you to resort to. A place where you feel you belong.’”
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“Maine teenagers are learning how to write poetry from some young poets — other Maine teenagers.“
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“Governor Janet T. Mills has proclaimed April 2021 National Poetry Month in the State of Maine, marking the importance of poetry in education and the everyday lives of our citizens.'“
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“Maine teens throughout the state could soon learn how to write poetry from an ideal model — other Maine teens.”
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“A published author at age 17 — not very many teens can make that claim. But that is just what Alexa Barstow became last August when a collection of her short stories, ‘Truth Be Cold,’ was published. Now, Barstow has received national accolades for her writing; gold medals in the 2021 Scholastic Awards designating her writing as among ‘the most outstanding works in the nation.’”
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“Given the way the world is trending, Stuart Kestenbaum decided to elevate the words of the youth poets of Maine before his term as state poet laureate ends this spring.”
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“A group of 26 Maine high school students were left astonished and inspired after former President Barack Obama dropped in on a late-January session of The Telling Room’s Young Writers & Leaders program, a creative writing and leadership program for students with international and multicultural backgrounds.”
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“Young Writers and Leaders (YWL) is one of the programs at The Telling Room that works to empower students to use their voices through writing to tell their stories and impact change in the world. Those lessons came to life recently when an unlikely guest paid that program a visit.”
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“Who knows? Former President Barack Obama could be lurking in the waiting room of your next Zoom meeting.”
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“The Maine-based literary arts education non-profit, which has a mission to ‘empower youth through writing and share their voices with the world,’ gave the group’s Young Writers & Leaders (YWL) program the unique opportunity to hear directly from Obama about his memoir and hear his insights about writing and experiences growing up between cultures.”
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“‘The whole thing was like so unreal. But it actually happened, and we have, like, we have video proof that it happened,’” said Noor Sager, a 15-year-old sophomore at Gorham High School.”
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“Former President Barack Obama spent an hour on a Zoom chat with 26 students from the Telling Room in Portland in late January, talking with them about writing, his recently published memoir, ‘A Promised Land,’ and the importance of storytelling, community and conquering self-doubts.”
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