Processing the News Through Poetry: Workshop for Educators

Join the Pulitzer Center Education team on Wednesday, March 20, 4:00-5:15pm CDT / 5:00-6:15pm EDT for a virtual workshop to learn more about how thousands of students worldwide have used poetry as a tool for close reading, empathizing with global stories, and raising their voices through the Fighting Words Poetry Contest—and how you can bring this empowering project to your class.

Senior Program Manager Hannah Berk will facilitate an interactive opportunity for participants to explore the resources used to craft original poems in response to global news stories and examples of contest-winning student work. Janelle Bence, a high school English Language Arts teacher in Texas, will also share how she has taught the Fighting Words project and guided students in writing prizewinning poems.

This workshop is held in partnership with the Institute for Regional and International Studies National Resource Center (IRIS NRC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Access complete Fighting Words Poetry Contest guidelines as well as support resources for educators and students on the contest portal. Read last year's winning poems here. Entries are due Sunday, May 12, 2024!

Students care about what is happening in their community and in the world. They want to be able to make a difference in their local and global communities. This contest is one way that students can share their voices with the world. This contest allows them to make a difference with their words.

Elizabeth Jorgensen, teacher in Wisconsin