Higher Achievement, a non-profit academic program that works with middle school students in Homewood and the Hill District, presented its third annual Literary Love Poetry Performance last month, which was sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Twelve Higher Achievement middle school scholars participated in a reading of original poems on at the Hill House’s Hillman Auditorium.
Higher Achievement is a national organization with sites in Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond. Higher Achievement, a rigorous academic program held after school and during the summer, works with more than 100 middle school students, or scholars, in Pittsburgh’s Homewood and Hill District neighborhoods to provide them with the best opportunities to succeed in school and life.
From fifth through eighth grade, Higher Achievement scholars spend 650 hours a year learning an advanced curriculum that is aligned with state standards.
At Higher Achievement, Pittsburgh’s middle school students are encouraged to think creatively, express themselves, and discover their leadership potential. The Literary Love Poetry competition offers scholars the chance to share their talents, tap into personal thoughts, feelings and insights, and gain skills in public speaking.
“Our scholars have the chance to write about heartfelt subjects, using literary devices to share their voices with the community as a tribute and token of appreciation,” said Wendy Etheridge Smith, PhD., executive director of Higher Achievement, in a press release.
Students began working on their poetry in January as part of Higher Achievement’s literary curriculum. Students presented their poems in February and six scholars from each site were selected by a panel of judges to read their poems at the event. This year’s performance also featured “Highmark Healthy Haikus,” a segment in which the scholars presented original haikus written about their healthy lifestyle habits.
“We start with scholars who are sometimes unsure about the project,” said Smith. “But then it’s like watching a flower bloom. The shyness and hesitance is replaced with brilliance.”
The Literary Love Poetry Performance was free and open to the public.
(Article courtesy of Higher Achievement. To learn more about the organization, visit www.higherachievement.org.)
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