A nationwide poetry contest for youths incarcerated in juvenile facilities has been narrowed down to 15 finalists. It’s the third year for the “Words Unlocked” contest, which is organized by the Maryland-based Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings (CEEAS).
Click here to read the poems submitted by the 15 finalists, who were chosen from a field of 1,300 submissions from facilities all over the country. Tonight, CEEAS is hosting a live twitter chat at 7pm, where they will be discussing the 15 poems and conduct a live poll where people can vote for their favorite.
Use #WU15 tonight to access the Twitter chat.
CEEAS works with alternative schools and schools in locked facilities to improve academic services for youths involved in the juvenile justice system. Click here to read The Imprint‘s story on how CEEAS, led by its founder David Domenici, built Words Unlocked into an overnight success.
John Kelly is an editor for The Imprint