Poetry Pals is Launched in
Chicago 2008
Thanks
to a grant from Search Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core, supported by Learn and Serve America, we launched Poetry Pals
in 2008 with 90 students from the Muslim Community Center Fulltime School in Morton Grove and the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet
Day School in Lincoln Park. The students met for their first poetry and art session on March 5, 2008 in Lincoln Park.
What an incredible day of learning and meeting new friends. The students met again on April 10, 2008 in Morton Grove
and on November 25, 2008 when they discussed the problem of hunger, collected food, and made placemats for a local shelter.
2009/2010
at the Islamic Foundation School and St. Pius
In 2009, 4th grade students from the Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park
and St. Pius Catholic School in Lombard met on March 24th, April 16th and May 14th.
The students wrote fantastic poetry and developed friendships. Charlie Mahey
from St. Pius and Adam Shames, a poet-educator, were interviewed on Different Drummers , a program of the Christian Broadcast
Network. Go to In the News on our site to view.
2010 MCCFTS..Muslim Community Center Fulltime
School in Morton Grove and St. Brebeuf in Niles
Fourth grade students
meet and write poetry. Poems to be published in June 2010
Exciting times with young poets from KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation
and City of Faith Church Co-sponsored by Changing Worlds 2008-2009 www.changingworlds.org
On Sunday November 23, 2008, January 18, 2009 and February 22, 2009- 22
ten and eleven year old members of the synagogue and church met, and, through poetry and art developed
new friendships. It was really neat learning about the Jewish tradition, said a church
member...I have Christian friends at school, but we are busy with school work and sports and don't talk about
our religion..so I like this, a KAM participant said. The students also created a quilt that hangs at KAM. A special
thank you to Marilyn Akey, our quilter. This program was co-sponsored by Changing Worlds..Connecting Lives and Cultures through
Literacy and the Arts. www.changingworlds.org
Thanks to Shari Granat and Pastor Shaffer.
A group poem entitled We Have A Dream
We have a dream that one
day our city will have no fighting, cheating or killing
People of the government will make sure everyone is treated the same and can go places
No more guns!
People will have smiling faces. Everyone should help the homeless and other countries
Have respect for elders
We have a dream for parks with safe grounds, youth centers to swim, dance and exercise. And health
care so no one will get sick or hurt.
Sherry,
Kalia, Sophia and Hannah
