Community-Word Project

Every child deserves a voice. When children create, communities thrive. ? This Universal Children’s Day, we celebrate and empower NYC students to tell their stories, express their dreams, and shape their futures through creative writing and multidisciplinary arts. #cwp #cwp25 #universalchildrensday

The Teaching Artist Project is a comprehensive training and internship program for working artists who want to incorporate social justice and social emotional learning into their teaching practice. Our first workshop explored how to co-create intentional, creative community through a justice-oriented lens. We reflected on the practice of land acknowledgements, and took time to craft our own artistic land acknowledgements that honored our unique lineages and cultural positionalities. We explored accountability practices, and how we would like to be held accountable around our community practices. This important groundwork will set the foundation for our learning environment, and modeled for trainees best practices in community-building. Stay tuned for our next TAP workshop!

Students' voices become more powerful than ever in times of uncertainty. Through arts education, students don't just learn to write – they develop the critical thinking skills to process complex realities and the creative courage to imagine better futures. Your support helps us continue providing spaces where students can express, process, and transform their thoughts into powerful art. Kharisma wrote her poem in the Fall of 2022 at Bronx Envision Academy.

Celebrate Ada Limón, former Teaching Artist at CWP, now in her second term as the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate. Her journey from NYC classrooms to seeing her poetry blasted into space shows the power of poetry and arts education! ?? Ada’s poem is etched in her own handwriting on the?vault plate of Europa Clipper - the largest spacecraft NASA has built - along?with 2.6 million signatures, visual symbols for water in 103 languages as well as American Sign Language. “In Praise of Mystery” functions as an introduction of Earth to Europa,” writes Elisabeth Egan in The New York Times. “It includes songbirds and wind-shaken trees, grief and pleasure, sun and shadow. It strikes a liquid note — “O second moon, we, too, are made of water, of vast and beckoning seas” — and gives a solid sense of what unites human beings: awe, mystery, wishes.” Photo credit: Rose Marie Cromwell for the New York Times & NASA/JPL-Caltech #cwp #cwp25

High school student in the CWP 2.0 Program visit Purchase College, SUNY. Highschool students from Bronx Envision Academy, Pelham Lab High School Virtual Innovators Academy, and TYWLS of Astoria recently joined Community-Word Project for a fall visit to SUNY Purchase College.? The students were warmly welcomed to the multicultural center for lunch and a discussion with Purchase Senior and Community-Word Project Alum Kayla Dike, and Nikko Garmendiz,?who works in Student Affairs. Nikko provided invaluable advice on the college application process and how to choose a school that's right for you. Kayla answered a range of student questions and shared what it was like transition to college at Purchase, her work as a musician and producer, and how she's involved on campus, including events she's planned as the President of S.O.C.A. (Students of Caribbean Ancestry). After a rich discussion, students toured the college with current students, enjoyed the vibrant fall colors, and saw various spaces on campus including freshman dorms, meal options, exhibits of student photography, and student event spaces. Notably, a few seniors attended the trip for a second time, and one of them, Bronx Envision Academy senior Dominick, has already applied to Purchase's photography program after last year's visit sparked his interest in the school.

We are honored to shine a spotlight on Dale Novella Anderson-Lee our TAP Co-Director of Communications, Operations, and Facilitation. Dale's journey from South Carolina to New York City embodies the creative spirit and dedication that has fueled our mission for a quarter century. Dale's multifaceted background as a singer-songwriter, event curator, and artist manager brings a unique perspective to our team. Her ability to create spaces that elevate spirits and bring communities together through music aligns perfectly with Community-Word Project's goal of empowering voices through creative expression. In her seven years running "The Poet Will be Televised," Dale has showcased some of NYC's finest independent talent, touching legendary stages and collaborating with diverse artists. This experience translates directly into her work with our students, helping them find their own artistic voices and platforms for expression. As a certified Yogi and Teaching Artist, Dale exemplifies the holistic approach to education that Community-Word Project has championed. She uses her musical gifts and mindfulness techniques to help people connect with themselves and the world around them - a crucial skill in today's challenging educational landscape. Dale's work with Community-Word Project, The Dreamyard Project, and Building Beats demonstrates her commitment to using arts education as a tool for personal growth and community building. Her goal to "bring the world together in rhythm one beat at a time" resonates deeply with our mission to use creative writing and multidisciplinary arts as essential elements of public school education. By supporting Community-Word Project, you're not just investing in an organization - you're investing in dedicated educators like Dale who bring creativity, compassion, and expertise to classrooms every day. Your donation helps us continue to provide the resources and support these incredible teaching artists need to make a lasting difference in students' lives.

Here's to the power of arts in our schools! CWP staff, Autumn and Dale, at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Community Arts Breakfast! Love partnering with LMCC to connect NYC teaching artists with funding opportunities. Together with our incredible arts community, we're working to make creative education accessible in every neighborhood. #cwp #cwp25

I’m a real African Queen, not one of those “connecting to their roots”? kind of queens, when the Afrobeats became the wave, nor am I the girl who thinks? Dashikis are authentic and wears a corny?? African dress to prom. And no I am not the girl who pretends she’s a native after watching Black Panther and chants “Wakanda Forever”. No, I’m a real African Queen. Kayla Uzoma Dike, Uzoma meaning on a successful road and When people glance over the K.U.D of my name and ask, remnants of them calling others “African Booty Scratchers” and saying “Dyke” when I’ve told them “Dike” one, two, a thousand times. Now, I tell them “Unknown”. I’d rather be shrouded in mystery, than my name spoken like some slant rhyme off beat, without melody. But I’m a real African Queen, once scorned for darker skin and pudgy stomach. I used to hide, but in time I’ve changed, Grown into my royalty, with eyes that dance like a light, airy tune and skin the soil that bright, vibrant daffodils arise from.? White teeth that wink from fiery red lips of my mother, and my voice which speaks all of my peace, all of my chaos, all of my waves, mayhem, whispers. All of me.? The voice of a real African Queen. ?Poem by Kayla Dike, a former CWP student currently a senior at SUNY Purchase. This poem was performed at Writing Our Future, CWP's 20th Anniversary Benefit Fundraiser. #NationalAuthorsDay

Opportunity Alert - Due TODAY by 5PM! LMCC 2025 Art Center Residency is accepting applications from artists focusing on climate change & urban ecology. Apply now!

Happy Halloween! Which mural is giving you the best Halloween vibes? Drop a ?? for the pumpkin patch or a ?? for the ghostly garden in the comments! Fun fact: Did you know art-making can help students process and express their fears in healthy, creative ways? That's the magic of arts education!