<![CDATA[Humanities Amped - Spotlights]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:29:13 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Deep Conversations & Confidence - Reflections on the 2026 Journeying to Justice Conference]]>Wed, 27 May 2026 14:08:07 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/deep-conversations-confidence-reflections-on-the-2026-journeying-to-justice-conference
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​On April 30, 2026, over 130 Humanities Amped students, family, educators, and community members gathered together to amplify youth voice in the name of justice. This youth action research conference, Humanities Amped’s first since 2019, was a long time coming, and it was inevitable. The depth of study, research, writing, creation, and critical analysis that has taken place across Amped programs this year was simply too much for the classroom walls to hold: our students’ work demanded to be seen, to reach beyond the Amped family to the community at large. As the school year comes to a close, we are proud to share these reflections with you.
The conference was a sacred space for young people to support and learn from each other

​In the words of one Amped junior, “This was my first conference ever, and at first I was nervous because it was like nothing I’ve ever done before. But when I first got there, all my stress went away.” According to the students, the conference crowd was an extension of the Amped family they have grown to love and trust at Tara High School: engaged, supportive, and ready to listen without judgment.
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Despite this being many students’ first experience sharing their work publicly, the environment of this radically youth-led space helped transform their nervousness into confidence. A senior shared, “I’m pretty sure everyone had a little bit of nervousness, but everyone still showed up and did their best, and I just really like that we all did our thing even though we was feeling those things.” Another student shared, “Even though the main point of the conference was to share our ideas, it was fun.”
The conference helped students to mark their own growth

Reflecting on the experience of presenting at the conference, especially for our seniors, meant reflecting on years of growth. Students who were once afraid to share their work in front of an audience found that they could persuasively share research and lead conversations out in the world. As one senior explained, “I came in this class, and when I heard this was something we was doing, that was the most nervous I got about it. [When] we did our presentation [in class], I was up here voice cracking, not looking at nobody. But as we got closer, the more I was confident in what we were doing, and knew what I was talking about. We got there and I was just like, it ain’t even a big deal anymore.” Amped students developed strong scholarly identities this year, finding that their commitment to sustained research meant that they could speak confidently on topics that matter to them.
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The conference made space for conversations that students should not only contribute to, but lead.

​As one Amped junior explained, “We’re put in this box of like, kids are immature, we can’t do things like this. But seeing everyone actually lead presentations, talking to adults about real world problems, really stuck with me, because I’ve never been able to do anything like that.” After student panelists shared their research on self-selected topics like immigration studies, criminalization studies, and family wellbeing studies, they engaged in critical conversations with the conference’s participants. As one Amped junior remarked, “We had real deep conversations. It wasn’t just us commenting, it was the people there, too.”
In her reflection on the conference, another junior shared, “I loved the fact that we were able to put real-world experiences into perspectives to where people could understand it. It opened up a lot of conversation and it also opened a lot of people’s eyes.” She went on to describe a candid, intergenerational exchange of ideas on the topic of mental health, a conversation that revealed cultural shifts that often lead to conflict between youth and adults. She shared that “I never anticipated the conversation that happened to happen.” She explained that she went into the conference thinking, “It’s just probably gonna be, we’re gonna read our writing, we’re gonna explain the slideshow, and then we just gonna go about our day because nobody’s probably gonna want to talk. Probably it’s just gonna go in one ear and out the other.” Instead, she found that “people were actually more understanding and more open to learn,” a strong testament to the power of youth voice.
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What’s Next? The conversations we had at the conference are already rippling out into the world

​The conference is not an end point: it is, rather, another step on our shared journey to justice. In the words of one Amped junior, “I think the next thing is to just keep talking about it in more open spaces. Because if we were able to touch a small group of people, then I know we can touch more people. Especially considering the fact that they dove deeper into the conversation, they didn’t just hear that and walk out, that’s probably something that stuck with them. So if it stuck with them, they’re gonna take that into their lives and actually start to apply it, which will better the person around them. So if we keep talking about it and we reach more people. We could touch just enough people to restore the world, or build a world that’s not based off of comfort, and is actually based off of love.“
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In addition to celebrating youth voice through research, writing, performance, and youth-led workshops (see the full list of student presentations here), we had the honor of presenting our Amped Community Awards. This year’s Susan Weinstein Greenhouse Award was presented to Tara High School principal John Hayman. Mr. Hayman is a champion for young people and for Amped, and we are grateful for his many years of support and advocacy that have helped our community to grow!​

The Bobby Thompson Humble Hero of Social Justice Award was presented to Dr. Andrew Kuo. Dr. Kuo has been a long time supporter of Humanities Amped, serving this year as a research mentor for a team of Amped juniors and providing live musical accompaniment for our youth poets and performers at each Fresh Heat Teen Open Mic.
Amped Educator Kalivyn Marquix, known to the students as Mr. Kalivyn, received the Destiny Cooper Brave Space Award in honor of their commitment to making the classroom a space of radical trust, creativity, and learning.
The Kaiya Smith True Blue Senior Action Research Award was earned by Aerin Armstrong, Chantelle Jones, and Ramiele Rochon for the excellence of their Senior Capstone project “Sexual Assault is Not Your Fault.” ​

Finally, Jeremy Senegal was presented the Asia Reese-White Pay It Forward Scholarship. Jeremy has served as a dedicated Amped student and intern this year, demonstrating every day what it means to live out the Amped values of radical imagination, healing justice, and beloved community.
From all of us at Humanities Amped, we want to say thank you to everyone who helped make this conference possible. We are grateful for our continued partnership with EBRPSS and Tara High School, to our volunteers, Tara High Teachers, and Amped board members who helped the day run smoothly, and to everyone, especially our students’ families, who shared the day with us.​

We are deeply grateful to the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge for graciously hosting us, and to our funders and sponsors: thank you, Fat Boy’s Pizza for providing lunch for our students, and to the Foundation for Louisiana and the Louisiana Justice Fund for investing in youth-led narrative change in our community. We are stronger together, and we are proud to be journeying to justice with each of you!
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The work of Humanities Amped is made possible by generous advocates in our community. Follow the link below to make a donation today toward joyful, meaningful learning experiences for Baton Rouge young people!
DONATE

WHAT'S NEW AT HUMANITIES AMPED

Please join us in celebrating members of our Amped staff for their recently published scholarship!
Are you passionate about creating joyful, meaningful learning experiences for Baton Rouge public school students and looking for a way to get involved? Humanities Amped is currently seeking board members to help guide the organization in its mission to model and share transformative educational practices that result in people’s power to shape their world. If you’re interested in serving on our board of directors, send an email to Board President Dr. Suzy Caleo at scaleo@lsu.edu—we look forward to hearing from you!
]]><![CDATA[Journeying to Justice Youth Action Research Conference - Thurs, April 30!]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/journeying-to-justice-youth-action-research-conference-thurs-april-30Join us next Thursday for the Journeying to Justice Youth Action Research Conference, celebrating the work that more than 70 Humanities Amped youth at Tara High School are doing to make their communities a better place.
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​This conference brings together students, educators, families, and local leaders to explore justice, history, and lived experience through action research. Join us for all or part of the day at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge on April 30—we look forward to seeing you there!

SENIOR CAPSTONE ACTION RESEARCH PROJECTS

After Silence: Sexual Assault is Not Your Fault (Session 1)
Breaking the Silence: Family Wellbeing (Session 2)
The Hidden Gap: Social Emotional Supports for Adolescents (Session 3)

wRITING THE wORLD dUAL eNROLLMENT rESEARCH pANELS

Stories Across Borders: What Humanity Demands of Us (Session 1)
To Be Better Than Those Who Came Before Us (Session 1)
Criminalization Journey to Justice: Criminals are Made, Not Born (Session 2)
Immigrants Living the “American Dream” (Session 2)
It’s in My Blood: Breaking Intergenerational Trauma (Session 3)
The conference will also feature Amped Live!, a set of student-created performances from the Writing and Performance Lab class (Session 2), as well as a Fresh Heat Network Panel and Open Mic (Session 3), and book project presentations from the students in Freshman Literacy Lab (Session 1)!

conference schedule

9:30 - 10:00 Opening & Community Awards
10:05 - 10:55 Session 1
11:00 - 11:50 Session 2
12:25 - 1:15 Session 3
Your presence matters! By extending their learning beyond the classroom and making space to listen, we communicate to our young people that we value their voices and perspectives. The impact is enormous: students share with us that these opportunities prove to them that “I can do a lot of things I thought that I couldn’t.”

​RSVP at the link below!
Conference RSVP
Not able to make it to the conference, but still want to support? The work of Humanities Amped is made possible by generous advocates in our community. Follow the link below to make a donation today toward joyful, meaningful learning experiences for Baton Rouge young people!
DONATE

what's new at humanities amped

Are you passionate about creating joyful, meaningful learning experiences for Baton Rouge public school students and looking for a way to get involved? Humanities Amped is currently seeking board members to help guide the organization in its mission to model and share transformative educational practices that result in people’s power to shape their world. If you’re interested in serving on our board of directors, send an email to Board President Dr. Suzy Caleo at scaleo@lsu.edu—we look forward to hearing from you!


The Spring 2026 Edition of the Fresh Heat: Teen Zine is out! We’ll have copies for sale all day at the conference on April 30!
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]]><![CDATA[The Amped Conference is Back! Come Celebrate Youth Voice With us at Fresh Heat!]]>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:04:31 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/the-amped-conference-is-back-come-celebrate-youth-voice-with-us-at-fresh-heatBig news! The Humanities Amped annual research conference is BACK for the first time since 2019!

​The Journeying to Justice Youth Action Research Conference celebrates the work that more than 70 Humanities Amped youth at Tara High School are doing to make their communities a better place.
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Your presence matters! By extending their learning beyond the classroom and making space to listen, we communicate to our young people that we value their voices and perspectives. The impact is enormous: students share with us that these opportunities prove to them that “I can do a lot of things I thought that I couldn’t.” Join us for all or part of the day on April 30 as we journey toward justice—we look forward to seeing you there!

RSVP at the link below!​
CONFERENCE RSVP

​The FINAL Fresh Heat: Teen Open Mic of the semester is on Thursday, March 19 at 6:00PM! We’ve been celebrating 20 years of Fresh Heat all semester long with alumni, community members, and current students--you don’t want to miss it!
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“It allows creativity to be possible. It creates a space for openness. There’s a lot of young poets that walk up to the mic, that are sharing pieces that they feel very vulnerable about. It’s a very sacred thing that not every single space can do.” - Amped Youth & Fresh Heat Host
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Stop by our merch table for the coolest Fresh Heat shirt and a copy of the Fresh Heat: Teen Zine! Know any youth writers? The last day for submissions for the Spring 2026 edition is March 20! See the link below for more info.
FRESH HEAT TEEN ZINE & OPEN MIC INFO
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​We can’t wait to see you there!
Not able to make it to Fresh Heat, but still want to support? The work of Humanities Amped is made possible by generous advocates in our community. Follow the link below to make a donation today toward joyful, meaningful learning experiences for Baton Rouge young people!
DONATE
]]><![CDATA[Amped Adelante Volunteers Ensure Access for English Learners]]>Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:40:58 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/amped-adelante-volunteers-ensure-access-for-english-learnersThe volunteers, they speak Spanish and they help you. They can even completely help you to understand what’s going on, you can even explain it, you understand it, they make you understand.” - THS English Learner
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Each semester, Humanities Amped places around 20 multilingual, trained volunteers in Tara High School classrooms to support the unique needs of English Language Learners. Tara High School has one of the highest rates of English Learners in the district, and these Adelante volunteers provide critical academic and social support services that help all students feel welcome, cared for, and confident in their ability to obtain an education. 

This semester, 23 volunteers are working in 13 teacher’s classrooms across 25 class sections. By the end of August, these Humanities Amped volunteers had already dedicated over 90 hours to the Adelante project! â€‹
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To begin the semester, the volunteers, who are almost all LSU Honors College students recruited in collaboration with LSU’s Project 225, gathered at Tara High School on a weekend to engage in training around culturally sustaining and trauma-informed approaches to teaching and learning. Led by Coordinators Eduardo Howell and Benjamin Cowsar, along with Amped Co-Director Dr. Emma Gist and consultant Dr. Alex Torres, the volunteers engaged with the notion of “accompaniment,” one of the grounding philosophies of the Adelante Initiative. Drawn from Staughton Lynd, this term describes the process of joining alongside someone and walking through their circumstances with them, offering support while recognizing the other’s expertise in their own experiences. The volunteers shared stories from their own lives and practiced healing-centered approaches to hold students to high expectations while offering high support.
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These dedicated volunteers, many of whom were once English Learners themselves, enter this work at a challenging cultural moment: in a national environment that grows increasingly hostile towards immigrants, communities that confirm acceptance and belonging become ever more vital. The English Learners at Tara High School represent a wide-range of English language ability. While many teachers work diligently to translate for and support their English Learners directly, for many students the language barrier prevents full engagement in class, thus cutting off their access to the education they need and deserve.
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The Adelante initiative provides student-centered, in-class support that ensures access to class content and learning. The goals of the project include academic achievement, but reach well beyond that: in listening circles hosted by the Amped Student Government Association, English Learners at Tara High shared a strong desire to learn English, as well as worries about practicing for fear of being made fun of. When there are no safe spaces for practice and learning, students cannot grow. Since beginning the project at Tara High School in 2022, Adelante has focused on developing trusting relationships and a sense of belonging, as well as increasing feelings of purpose and hope. Adelante volunteers offer academic support, but they also offer consistency, compassion, and advocacy for students at Tara High who are often most marginalized. 

​In the words of one Tara High School teacher, “This program is so necessary and appreciated. Our students love them and they help everyone with learning in the classroom. THANK YOU!!!” The results of this program are also evident in the graduation data: when Humanities Amped began this program at Tara High in 2022 with just five volunteers, the graduation rate for English Learners was 13%. That number has since increased dramatically to as high as 62%, one of the highest English Learner graduation rates in the state. We are so proud to partner in this work with Tara High School, which has in the last few years focused targeted interventions on the needs of English Learners.
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This growth is worth celebrating, and there is still much work to do. We truly cannot do it without your support: the word Adelante is Spanish for “forward,” and we are asking you to move forward with us. In the face of great injustice and so much to be done, we can often find ourselves at a loss for how to help. As we look to grow and expand this project, this is one small way to contribute to solutions that have an enormous impact: you can donate here to this urgent and necessary project.
Are you interested in serving as an Adelante volunteer next semester? Fill out the form linked below, and we will reach out! â€‹
Become a Volunteer

What's NEw at Humanities AMped

Parent Circles Launch Next Month! 
Connecting, Coping, and Growing Together: Monthly group gatherings designed for parents desiring connection and support in a welcoming environment. Build your village, find your support! 

October 1, 2025, at 5:30 at Tara High School
For additional info, contact Ms. LaChanda Harris at 225-317-9728 or at lharris@humanitiesamped.org
]]><![CDATA[Our 2024 - 2025 Impact and Looking Ahead]]>Fri, 08 Aug 2025 21:39:09 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/our-2024-2025-impact-and-looking-aheadTo me, Humanities Amped is kind of like home. It nurtures your development. They nurture your brain and make you feel safe and allow you to actually learn something. They set you up with skills for the real world, like critical thinking , problem solving, being able to work in a group, time management. And they allow you to use your voice. They teach you that you never have to be scared, or you don’t have to be ashamed for being different.              ​-Amped Senior

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It’s back to school season, and Humanities Amped is launching into the new year! As we enter our twelfth year of amplifying critical literacy and wellbeing in Baton Rouge public schools, and our fourth year in residence at Tara High, we want to take a moment to pause and reflect on our 2024-2025 impact and the lessons we continue to learn through each year of this work.​
Last year, Humanities Amped provided a wide-reaching ecosystem of supports to the students and teachers at Tara High School. We engaged 170 students in civically-engaged project-based learning through our classroom pathway, which included Freshman Seminar, Writing and Performance Lab, and Dual Enrollment Composition I and II. With 21 members, the Humanities Amped Tara High School Student Government Association contributed powerfully to campus culture, and began to address issues that are important to the student body, including mental health supports and school discipline. Through MTTRS of the MYND and Girls Empowerment, which together served over 25 students, young people strengthened relationships, developed emotional regulation skills, and built intergenerational community. The Humanities Amped poetry team placed third at the district-wide poetry slam, and Humanities Amped hosted three Fresh Heat Teen Open Mics that made space for youth poets from around Baton Rouge to share their voices and their writing. Throughout the year, Adelante Volunteers provided nearly 1000 hours of support for over 90 English Language Learners, increasing both access to academic content as well as a vital sense of belonging.

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OUR STUDENTS

In the 2024-25 school year, Tara High School had:
- 1020 enrolled students
- 96% minority students (69% Black, 26% Hispanic)
- 22% English Language Learners
- 100% Title I population

Over the course of the year, Humanities Amped directly served over 320 young people through our ecosystem of in- and out-of-class programs.

OUR OUTCOMES

Students in Amped programming who maintained and/or improved social-emotional skills: 94%
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Students in Amped programming who gained increased confidence in soft skills: 85%

This percentage represents the number of students who indicated that they built confidence in at least two of the following four soft skills: working as part of a group, planning and organizing their time, active listening, and problem solving.
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​student testimonials

The environment of a Humanities Amped Class… is the best thing in the world. It’s my favorite place to be. I only come to school on B-days because I have that class. I get to be myself. [...] To have a classroom where I can just work freely and have open discussions, it feels really good, because that’s not something that happens in school nowadays. 
- Amped Senior

The Humanities Amped/THS SGA… gives students a voice actually in school. I know people say, 'We’re gonna give you a voice.' No, it actually gives you a voice. I’ve sat in meetings with the principal and assistant principal, the deans. I email them all the time, talk to them. It really gives you a voice and it allows students to be integrated into school and not just come to school. [...] I learned that just because I’m a student, it doesn’t mean I can’t hold a place of power.
- Amped SGA Member


MTTRS of the MYND… helps you become self-aware of certain things, like certain things that you might not have been able to take notice of. I could feel myself shifting in moods now, being able to put a stop to it before things get too extreme.
- Amped Junior


The Humanities Amped Staff… are a big reason why I love to come to school.
​- Amped Junior
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TEACHER TESTIMONIAL

Humanities Amped Adelante volunteers...were AWESOME!!! This program is so necessary and appreciated. Our students love them and they help everyone with learning in the classroom. THANK YOU!!!
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EVENT SPOTLIGHT - FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT

At the third annual Family Literacy Night, students from Freshman Seminar presented their original children’s books to an audience of family, teachers, and community members. Through collaboratively writing, illustrating, editing, and publishing these children’s books centered on the theme of overcoming challenges, these students develop key skills in collaboration, project management, and communication. Following the book presentations, several students spoke to the audience about their experiences. They reflected that the project is a challenging one, but that they feel immense pride in their finished product. 

Humanities Amped has been honored to facilitate this project for the last three years, and we are excited hand it over to the team at Tara High.
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EVENT SPOTLIGHT - FRESH HEAT TEEN OPEN MICS

Humanities Amped hosted three Fresh Heat Open Mics last semester, with dramatically increasing attendance at each. The first two Fresh Heats, which featured local poets Taylor Scott and mxx. rené, included a performance from each featured artist, as well as a writing workshop. The final Fresh Heat was attended by over 40 students and community members, and featured performances by 15 youth artists as well as local poet Toi the Poetic Beauty. We want to thank Mid City Ballroom for providing the space for this series!
Led by Amped Educator and 2025 Baton Rouge Poet Laureate Kalivyn Marquix Morris, Fresh Heat has grown remarkably over the course of a single semester. This momentum indicates a clear community interest in this youth open mic series that provides a space for the young people of Baton Rouge to both learn from professional poets and share and develop their own writing, and we are excited to see this community-wide program continue to grow.
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LOOKING AHEAD

Humanities Amped is excited to continue developing and refining our programming at Tara High School with two new classes and a newly established Student Life Center. 

This Student Life Center, located right in the middle of campus, features a school-wide Get Right space as well as connection to resources and supports for the Tara High community.
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In Freshman Lit Lab, students who are among the lowest scorers on literacy measures in their eighth grade year will receive targeted reading and writing support centered on high-interest texts, literacy motivation, and explicit, proven instructional strategies to improve reading and writing skills. Students in the Senior Capstone class, many of whom began with us as freshmen when we came to Tara High in 2022, will engage in literacy-rich project-based learning that will culminate in dynamic action research projects focused on community issues that matter to them.
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JOIN US

Every year, we are reminded of the power of community, youth voice, and trust. We believe in humanizing education, in balancing high expectations with high support, and providing performances of possibility to demonstrate what can and should be for our young people. This work is only possible because of the ongoing support of our generous community, and so we invite you to make a back-to-school donation today at the link below. Your contributions go directly toward impacting the lives and futures of youth in Baton Rouge, which we cannot do without you!
DONATE
You can also show your support for Humanities Amped by visiting our online store and refreshing your Amped gear! Through August 26th, use code AMPED25 for 10% off your order!
As always, thank you for being a part of our Beloved Community! We look forward to another great year working toward justice with you.

WHAT'S NEW ATHUMANITIES AMPED

Be on the lookout for Parent Circle, a supportive community where parents connect, share insights, and grow together, building a stronger village for their families. Info coming soon! 

Shopping online at Walmart? Round up to support Humanities Amped by selecting us as your preferred Spark Good charity! See our profile HERE. 
]]><![CDATA[Amped Student Government Association Builds School Community and Culture]]>Fri, 31 Jan 2025 22:51:14 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/amped-student-government-association-builds-school-community-and-culture
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Since taking office in September, the Amped facilitated Tara High School Student Government Association has worked diligently to make meaningful change on campus. Knowing Humanities Amped’s reputation for developing and supporting young leaders, Tara High School asked for Humanities Amped to manage this elected body of students tasked with making decisions on behalf of their fellow students. With an emphasis on school culture and community, the SGA members are building on the successes of last semester as they look toward what’s coming up this spring.
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In order to best serve the multifaceted Tara High School student body, this year’s SGA is composed of two kinds of representatives: class representatives and affinity representatives. The traditional class representatives represent each grade level, while the affinity representatives are students who provide a voice for historically underrepresented groups. The 2024-2025 SGA includes two Latino/Latina student representatives, two Black student representatives, and two LGBTQ+ representatives, with plans to fill the vacancies for an AAPI and an accessibility representative next year.
Following being sworn into office, the SGA members began two major projects: Homecoming, a school culture project, and a series of Listening Circles, a community-building project aimed at better understanding the experiences of English Learner (EL) and immigrant students at Tara High School. For Homecoming, the SGA decorated the halls, threw favors in the Homecoming Parade, hosted a field day, and led the student body in chants and games for the pep rally. For the SGA members, this project was an opportunity to make the environment of the school more amiable and welcoming, so that every student feels like Tara High is a place worth coming to. The English Learner Listening Circles helped to clarify the challenges EL students face, and what supports they need on campus. On February 4, the SGA will extend the work of these listening circles with a National Day of Racial Healing event, continuing to make space for EL and immigrant students to share their experiences and build solidarity with their fellow students.
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In the second half of the Fall semester, the SGA students began a series of trainings on Restorative Justice. Students deepened their understanding of what Restorative Justice is and examined ways in which restorative justice could be further developed and implemented at Tara. Students began to widely brainstorm what are ways they would like for their school to respond in manners that align with the principles of restorative justice more. This training series culminated in an off-campus retreat where the students used forum and image theatre techniques to brainstorm and pull apart two major issues they wanted to address this school year. The students explored the role of power in making change, considering what it means to use power effectively in their roles as leaders on campus. The SGA chose these topics as their focus moving forward: Mental Health and Well Being & Discipline and Culture. The SGA split into two action committees with each committee working on each respective topic.
​The Discipline & Culture committee began by designing and sharing a survey to gather data on students’ perspectives about discipline at school, with the goal of developing a better understanding of what is the disconnect between students' perceptions, administrative actions, and the narrative at large about discipline at Tara. Following reviewing surveys from over 200 students, the SGA students plan on taking more action items and releasing a report about student perceptions of discipline.
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The Mental Health Committee is exploring how Tara High School can become a school that prioritizes the mental health conditions of students, teachers, and administration. After making a problem tree to investigate root causes, the students realized that there are systemic issues that impact students’ experiences. This committee of students plans to improve Tara High’s Mental Health environment as a whole through:

1. Training in peer mental health supports so that SGA members can facilitate dialogues around mental health. 

2. Identifying at least four teachers or administrators to be certified as “Get Right” space facilitators. 

3. Holding a series of listening circles where fellow students, teachers, and peers can better understand the mental health issues of one another. 
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By the end of the spring semester, the students hope to have four designated Get Right spaces on Tara High School's campus where students can self-regulate when experiencing difficult emotions or having hard days.

What's New At Humanities Amped

Fresh Heat Teen Open Mic is back! February 13, 2025 at Mid-City Ballroom, open to all Baton Rouge youth poets.

​Mark your calendars for Family Literacy Night! Join us at Tara High School on February 26, 2025 to celebrate the Freshmen Seminar Students who will present their original children's books centered on the theme of overcoming challenges.
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Last semester, we introduced a series of Parent/Family Engagement Circles. These initiatives aim to strengthen the home-school partnership by supporting Tara High students' overall well-being and academic success, while also providing valuable resources and support for families. To learn more about these circles, and for information on upcoming events and resources that can benefit your family, contact LaChanda Harris at lharris@humanitiesamped.org. ​
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]]><![CDATA[End of Year Celebrations & Giving Match Announcement]]>Sun, 29 Dec 2024 23:34:35 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/end-of-year-celebrations-giving-match-announcement
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Dear Amped family–

We have so much to celebrate this holiday season! Because of your support, we’re transforming learning across a high school campus that serves over 900 students. Whether we’re facilitating meaningful, joyful learning in Amped classrooms, training volunteers to support English Language Learners in core content classes, or developing young leaders through the Student Government Association, we remain committed to increasing school connectedness for our students. This transformative approach to learning makes students more likely to stay in, finish, and thrive in school. One student shared with us that being in a Humanities Amped class “made me feel like I was achieving. It made going to school not feel so bad, cause I knew I was gonna succeed, I knew I was gonna feel motivated to do the class, put in the work, and to not be on my phone. So that really made me feel better actually going to school and feeling more connection.” 

As the year draws to a close, we are excited to announce that from now until January 21, 2025, your contributions to Humanities Amped, will be matched up to $15,000! Dr. Holley Haymaker, Amped board member and advocate, along with Asia Reese, Amped Alum, are generously leading this campaign with deep conviction:
I support programs that are needed and that work. Amped does that. Since Humanities Amped began its residency at Tara High School, the school has raised its letter grade, and the principal said that is in part because of us. We teach the kind of citizen advocacy that we need in this state and country. Amped's success can be seen in individuals. Some students say they would have dropped out if Amped had not been there. One student, Asia Reese, an alumna of a public school in a neighborhood with many challenges has had success in her college and career: she wants to give back to a program who gave her such help. 
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- Dr. Holley Haymaker, Amped Board Member
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What if we lived in a nation where public education students and teachers had the proper resources, dedicated attention, and pragmatic framework to create classrooms that empower students versus funnel them through? 

Where students were merited for their commitment to change versus their natural abilities? Where opportunities were distributed equitably, so that we finally achieved that American notion not just of no child being left behind...but every child elevated?

I believe that Humanities Amped’s special attention to our nation’s most vital resource is a cause worth fighting for.

As a student, I remember being attracted to Humanities Amped because it offered a sense of self exploration and safety, and celebrated intellectual curiosity undefined by traditional curricula. That encouragement of free thinking enabled me to excel in college and later professionally. 

As an adult, I support Humanities Amped because I believe public school students and teachers are our most bountiful but at risk resource. Humanities Amped goes beyond risk management and enables students and teachers to reach their full potential—starting at Tara High School. 

I am proud to donate to such a worthy cause and hope others join me so we can further invest into our collective future.
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- Asia Reese, Amped Alum
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This community-driven work relies on the generosity of our beloved community–we cannot do it without you!

Ways to Give

Donate by credit card, bank draft, or PayPal on our website.
DONATE

​Donate by check made out to Humanities Amped

7350 Jefferson Hwy
Ste 485, PMB 130
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
]]><![CDATA[Our 2023 - 2024 Impact & New Year Announcements]]>Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:38:51 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/our-2023-2024-impact-new-year-announcements"I really like the Humanities Amped program so much. It really helped me out. I really feel like y’all family. Y’all make me feel welcome, make me feel at home. It’s just another space I can go to to clear my mind and it just feels good. And I really love y’all for that.”
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- Amped Student
The school year is off and running, and Humanities Amped is busy deepening connections with our family here at Tara High School! This fall, we want to celebrate and thank Dexter Jackson as he departs for other pursuits. We are grateful to Dexter for his creativity, energy, and advocacy for young people, and we look forward to all of the good work he will continue to do in our community.
As an organization, we are always striving to live intentionally and authentically in our values. Toward that aim, Humanities Amped has shifted its leadership structure to a collaborative model. By distributing the role of Executive Director among a team of three co-directors, we hope to increase our capacity to innovate and respond without falling into the burnout that threatens so much good nonprofit work. We love our community and we love this work, but the challenges we face are many. We know that we are better equipped to face these challenges when we face them together, and we are excited to live out for ourselves the collaboration, communication, and trust that we work so hard to develop in our students.

MEET THE CO-DIRECTORS

LaChanda Harris, LCSW

LaChanda began working as Humanities Amped’s first Community Care Manager in 2022. As Program Co-Director: Healing-Centered Pedagogies, LaChanda will expand on the transformative work she has done at Tara High to establish trauma-informed, restorative justice-aligned programming that has been responsive to the needs of the students and educators we work with. These initiatives have included skills-based small groups, the establishment of an on-campus food pantry, and restorative responses to ongoing, emergent needs. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LaChanda is expertly positioned to lead dynamic programming that fosters personal growth, emotional intelligence, accountability, and social connection.
Anna West, PhD
Anna, along with Destiny Cooper, founded Humanities Amped as a doctoral action-research project in 2014. Anna served as Humanities Amped’s first Executive Director when the organization incorporated in 2018, and has remained engaged in classroom programming since stepping out of that position in 2023. She brings to her new role of Program Co-Director: Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies over two decades of youth development expertise, along with specializations in writing pedagogies, arts-based education, and organization building.
Emma Gist, PhD
Emma began working at Humanities Amped as a doctoral student in 2018. As Humanities Amped’s first Education Director, she led the development of classroom-based programming at Tara High School that served as the foundation of the current Amplified Classrooms pathway. Her work at Humanities Amped also includes the establishment of the Adelante program as well as a series of culturally responsive, healing-centered professional development workshops for educators. In her current role as Development & Communications Director, Emma is responsible for Humanities Amped’s storytelling and research endeavors.

2023 - 2024 IMPACT

High school is about much more than academics: it's about building relationships, finding a sense of purpose, and becoming yourself. Our evaluations  show that Humanities Amped makes a significant impact on young people’s sense of connection and well-being, outcomes that directly influence their academic achievement. 
  • Last year, Humanities Amped was able to directly serve over 140 students through classroom programming that engaged students in joyful, meaningful learning.

  • In the fall semester, 56 sophomore students enrolled in the tenth grade Amplified dual enrollment course, 94% of whom passed with a C or higher. In the spring semester, 48 students enrolled in the next Amplified dual enrollment course, 100% of whom passed with a C or higher. These passing rates, which indicate that students received both high school and college credit, far outpace other dual enrollment courses at THS that are outside of the Amplified Classrooms Pathway.

  • Over 30 students participated in skills-based small groups, including MTTRS of the MYND, Girls Empowerment Club, and Poetry Team.

  • Over the course of the year, Humanities Amped hosted a series of Lunch & Learns, connecting students to local professionals and introducing them to several career options.

  • We provided professional development to over 15 teachers, including a workshop series focused specifically on the needs of English Language Learners.

  • Finally, 28 Adelante volunteers provided over 900 hours of support to English Language Learners across 23 Tara High School classrooms.
One of the students who placed 2nd at the 2024 district-wide Poetry Competition shared that “being a part of the poetry team, it was really good for me to actually find myself and [see], ooh, this is things I like, people actually get me, and I’m really here for something. This is my purpose, maybe.“

One student who participated in MTTRS of the MYND as well as an Amped Dual Enrollment class shared that “Humanities Amped is really a program about helping you develop your emotions and build up what you can accomplish for yourself and for other people. Humanities Amped is really a fun program, it’s a good space. It’s a place where you can go and have fun, go and talk about how you feel. It’ll never be a space where you just get aggravated or mad, but if you do get mad, then they’ll help you. They won’t get mad at you for being mad, they’ll help you develop that feeling and that emotion. And help you better yourself.”
Students in Amped Programming at Tara High who maintained and/or improved social/emotional skills across all five CASEL domains: 87.04%
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Students in Amped Programming at Tara High who gained knowledge of soft skills: 70.37% 
This percentage represents the number of students who indicated that they built confidence in at least two of the following four soft skills: working as part of a group, planning & organizing their time, active listening, and problem solving.
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Students in Amped Programming at Tara High who showed improvements in reading and language skills: 62.96%

This percentage represents the number of students who indicated that they built confidence in at least two of the following three literacy/language skills: writing skills, public speaking, and active listening.
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​When Ben [pseudonym] began his Humanities Amped Dual Enrollment Communications class, he was disengaged. He spent class scrolling on his phone instead of connecting with the course material, his peers, or his teachers. In his words, “when I have my off days I just feel like I don’t want to communicate with nobody, I just want to be in my own bubble.” As the Amped educators in his class worked to reach Ben, he came to realize two things: the course content offered authentic meaning to his life, and his teachers genuinely cared for him. In an interview, Ben explained, “I saw that they cared. [At first] I didn’t notice that. But starting to get through the middle of the class, and getting through the end, I really saw that they helped.” Ben also shared that he “started to notice we were going over things that we use every day. I didn’t really think of the class as a grade, I thought of it as a way to better myself. And as I was excelling in the class, getting all my assignments in, making A’s, I started to notice that I was really actually communicating better.”
Because Humanities Amped approaches center the combination of belonging and meaningful learning, Amped students are more likely to stay in, finish, and thrive in school. In Ben’s words, this dynamic approach meant that he “started to actually get interested, and my phone was always up. [What interested me was] the fact that it helped me better. As a human and all.” Ben’s story demonstrates that connectedness at school is possible for young people, and that targeted interventions like those applied by Humanities Amped can powerfully transform students’ learning experiences.

LOOKING FORWARD

Amplified Classrooms Pathway 
The Amplified Classrooms Pathway, a multi-year, cohorted series of courses grounded in challenging, meaningful learning sustained through supportive relationships, has expanded to include a junior-level dual-enrollment course. In Amplified Classrooms, highly skilled Amped educators facilitate project-based learning that engages students in ways where traditional high school curriculum falls short.

Freshman Seminar Through collaboratively planning, writing, and illustrating original children's books about overcoming challenges, students in Freshman Seminar gain foundational literacy and collaboration skills for academic success. Students in this course also build foundational academic and literacy skills through career exploration and strategic reading and writing pedagogies. 

Poetry & Performance Lab In this course, students explore generative themes through creative writing and storytelling, using performance strategies to develop and refine student literacy and interpersonal skills. 

Writing the World: Dual Enrollment Composition  In this course, through which students earn both high school and college credit, students learn fundamentals of English composition through civically-engaged project-based learning that invites students to identify and research contemporary social issues that matter to their own lives.
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Youth Voice & Engagement Initiatives 
These initiatives equip Tara High students with leadership skills and strategies to navigate interpersonal and community-wide relationships, thereby increasing school connectedness.

MTTRS of the MYND In MTTRS of the MYND students meet 1-2 times a week to develop skills for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and interpersonal well-being. Through open dialogue and skill-building activities, students identified by faculty as needing additional support develop the tools necessary to navigate life’s challenges. 

Girls Empowerment Club This supportive community is designed to help young women develop self-confidence, authentic relationships, leadership skills, and a strong sense of identity. It provides a safe space for girls to explore their potential, overcome challenges, and build positive relationships with peers.

Poetry Team Through regularly hosted writing workshops, the Amped Poetry Team nurtures students’ potential as writers and community story-tellers, inviting them to re-imagine the world around them. This year, Humanities Amped will also re-establish Fresh Heat, an Open Mic series open to youth across Baton Rouge. 

Student Government Association Beginning this year, Humanities Amped will lead and manage Tara High School’s Students in the SGA will receive highly supportive, strategically designed training in peer-to-peer leadership and community/culture building as they serve the interests of the entire Tara High student body. 

Thank you for being a member of our Amped family! We are excited for what we will build together this year! ​

What's New at Humanities Amped

Humanities Amped is launching our Drinks & Ink Writing Workshop Series for Educators and Youth Workers!

Come join us for an evening of poetry, wine, and community. This is an ADULTS ONLY (21 and up) event. Space is limited, so RSVP here as soon as possible!
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]]><![CDATA[Amplifying Youth Voice to Improve School Culture]]>Mon, 24 Jun 2024 16:04:49 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/amplifying-youth-voice-to-improve-school-culture
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"I feel like my opinion had lots of power,” shared one student about his experience this year in his Humanities Amped Introduction to Communications classroom. He also explained that early in the course, “I started to notice we were going over things that we use every day. I didn’t really think of the class as a grade, I thought of it as a way to better myself. And as I was excelling in the class, getting all my assignments in, making A’s, I started to notice that I was really actually communicating better.” This dual enrollment Baton Rouge Community College course, taught by Professor Rhonda Levy, was facilitated at Tara High School by Amped Educators Dr. Anna West and Kalivyn Marquix in partnership with Tara teacher Ms. Morgan Becnel-Adams.
At Humanities Amped, we believe that students learn best when they are engaged in meaningful work that matters to them. We also believe that students are experts in their own experiences, and so we design and facilitate classroom projects that allow them to tap into this expertise as they learn and grow. For their final project in this dual enrollment course, the students researched, drafted, and delivered speeches on the topic of improvements to school culture. The teaching team invited students to start from their own experience and choose topics that mattered to them. These school-based topics included transportation, brain-based learning, the school-to-prison-pipeline, and racial bias. One student shared that “Writing the speech was kind of fun, actually, ‘cause doing the research and going ahead and writing it down–I was really interested in my topic. I was really interested in my topic, and I felt proud.”
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The success of this sort of civically engaged project-based learning is dependent on pairing challenging work with guided support. One student shared, “Writing the speech, it was the hardest part,” particularly because “we had to find multiple sources, [and] they had to be trusted sources, too.” But then he added, “But it wasn’t so hard because Dr. West and Kalivyn, they hooked up a little format for us to follow. And that really helped the writing of the speech.”
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At the end of the semester, several of the students delivered their speeches to an audience of Tara High School teachers and administrators, as well as Tara High’s school board representative Patrick Martin. Dr. West facilitated a collaborative discussion among all the stakeholders in response to the speeches, considering the ways in which the students’ findings might be applied toward improving school culture. One student, who advocated for the inclusion of an advisory period as part of the school schedule, was excited to learn, a few weeks after this final presentation, that a revised schedule with an advisory period is being considered for next year.
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This dual enrollment course, and this project, represent ongoing possibilities for Humanities Amped to amplify youth voice through our collaborative partnerships. We are grateful to our partners at Baton Rouge Community College, particularly the course professor Rhonda Levy and Dean of Liberal Arts Rhett Poché. The success of this work continues to be deeply dependent on our strong relationships at Tara, and we are grateful to Tara High Dual Enrollment Coordinator Coach Robinson for all his hard work on behalf of these students. At the end of the semester, all 48 students passed with a C or higher, which means they will all earn both high school and college credit for the course.
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You can check out two of the students’ final speeches below. As we look forward to next school year, we are excited to continue amplifying youth voice by making sure young people have a seat at the table!
If you would like to support the work of Humanities Amped financially, follow the link below to donate.
DONATE

What's New at Humanities Amped

Summer Hiatus
Our team at Humanities Amped is invested in long-term, sustainable care. And we know that begins right where we are, in our own lives. Showing up for ourselves means being intentional about slowing down and resting. It’s how we re-ground ourselves and build our capacity to show up for the long run. 

It's never an easy choice to care for ourselves. There is always so much to do, and for those of us whose work is caring for our community, we often feel like it is never enough. And yet we know that if we want to show up wholeheartedly, we must invest in our own restoration. 

Following our yearly July hiatus, we hope to come back to you filled with energy, insight, and imagination. You, dear ones, deserve nothing less than our best selves! 

See you next semester! 
]]><![CDATA[Poetry At Humanities Amped - A Community Legacy]]>Tue, 14 May 2024 22:22:36 GMThttps://www.humanitiesamped.org/spotlights/poetry-at-humanities-amped-a-community-legacy
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In pursuit of deepening our roots in youth poetry, for the last two years, Humanities Amped has brought dynamic poetry programming to Tara High’s campus. Designed to amplify youth voices and affirm their identities as writers, this programming has included campus-wide writing initiatives, open mics, a poetry club, and poetry team. Last year, the Amped Poetry Team had the highest number of representatives at the EBRPSS district-wide poetry competition. This year, our poetry team members were selected from a pool of over 300 submitted poems written in response to school-wide prompts. The twelve students selected for the team participated in intensive writing and practice sessions for several weeks leading up to the competition. For their group poem “To the Teenagers,” Amped youth poets O’Neethia Walker, Aja Cummings, and Bralinn Edwards took home second place, receiving a $125 cash prize. Amped poets Yulieth Vilma Enamorado, Oriel Young, and Jermia Wyble also performed poems that were enthusiastically received.
​Humanities Amped’s poetry programming contributes powerfully to youth confidence, expression, and literacy. One Amped student shared that before her experiences with Amped, “I never thought that I would be the kind of person to write poems.” Following her experience, she learned about herself that “I could actually write poems.” For students, confidence in their identities as writers is a key contributing factor to literacy and other success in and out of school.
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The 2024 Humanities Amped Tara High Poetry Team
Oriel, O'Neethia, Jermia, Yulie, Gisele, Aja, Kaden, Skylar, Bralinn, Monserrat (not pictured), with sponsors Ms. LaCour and Mr. Kalivyn
The members of the poetry team received targeted writing support and mentorship from program lead, local Baton Rouge poet Kalivyn Marquix. As an alum of Forward Arts, which was incorporated into Humanities Amped in 2019, Kalivyn (whom the students lovingly call Mr. Kalivyn) strategically works to continue the legacy of the youth writing community that sustained and developed them during their own high school years. Kalivyn keenly recognizes the important role this community played for them as a Black, Queer, Southern, working class young writer, sharing that “It became a place to document my growth, it was a community of people, of poets who I could dream with, grieve with, imagine with. They were the ones who held this dream for me.”
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Like many of our current Amped poets, Mr. Kalivyn came into poetry through programming that centered on community, mentorship, and performances of possibility. Performances of possibility are opportunities for young people to demonstrate to themselves and to others how much they are capable of when given adequate trust and support. Youth spoken word is a space filled with performances of possibility. For Kalivyn, observing their peers perform their own writing in their own voices led from “How are they able to do this so confidently?” to “Oh wow, this is something that I can do, too.” As a member of the Baton Rouge Youth Slam Team, Mr. Kalivyn competed at Brave New Voices in 2017, where the team became the first from the deep South to be crowned International Youth Slam Champions. Bringing home this victory after the extremely challenging Baton Rouge summer of 2016 and on the anniversary of beloved Amped alum and fellow poet Kaiya Smith’s passing, was particularly meaningful for Mr. Kalivyn and their teammates.

Inside Humanities Amped, Kalivyn is able to continue to nurture this community. Mr. Kalivyn considers, “What does it mean for me to create that space that I was given? It is a lineage, it is a tradition passed down. I want to be mindful of stepping into that role even through disruption, like the pandemic and our moves between schools. We can’t lose those traditions. We have too much talent, creativity, and possibility to give up.”
As we look toward the summer and next school year, we have big plans to continue building a legacy of youth poetry at Tara High. Deepening these roots will only be possible with the direct support of our beloved community. If you would like to join this legacy of amplifying youth voices in Baton Rouge, we invite you to make a donation today at the link below.
DONATE
To the Teenagers (2024)
by O’Neethia Walker, Aja Cummings, and Bralinn EdwardsTo the teenagers who never get appreciated 
To the teenagers who stay up late for homework
To the teenagers who help others in need
TO THE TEENAGERS 
To the ones who sit alone
To the ones who don't blend in
To the ones who don't start drama 
THIS POEM IS FOR YOU
For those who feel as if there is no point, 
          whether it be you’ve tried and gotten nowhere, 
          or maybe it is too difficult to continue 
Be patient.

You may feel unseen 
          like they don’t hear you
          like they don’t listen 
          like why should I care 

The hardest part about speaking to those you trust is wondering if they may understand where you're coming from

For those who feel alone because they have no one to relate to

To those who look for comfort in the important figures in their lives just to be told their struggle is no struggle at all 

It hurts to not be heard and it seems like it doesn’t phase anyone

For those who wish for a listening ear instead of a mouth that demands and directs

Adults 
          Parents
          Teachers
          Deans
always want us to be better and do better 
but how could we? 

When we live in a world that teenagers have depression and anxiety
It makes me think

LKE am i just a dumb teenager to you?
like does it go in one ear and out the other?
Like did you shut me out?

Why aren’t you willing to learn how to understand us?

Because sometimes we may feel like a dying flame in a world so cold 
Because sometimes we search for answers to what some may see as meaningless questions
Because sometimes we are just desperate for what is supposed to be love or affection

BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE JUST WANT TO BE HEARD

To the teenagers who always hear 
         "It’s because you always on that phone”
          but that's how you get out of this reality

To the teenagers who
          Always letting the cold air out
          Running in and out the house
          78

To the teenagers
          "Who forget to take the chicken out”
          As if when you complete a task another appears

To the teenagers
          Who NEVERRRRR
          have McDonald’s Money

To the teenagers who feel as if the world is falling on you
As if you have to be the greatest 
I feel that deep pain for never being good enough 

Because 
I am one of you

What's New at Humanities Amped

Scotland Saturdays, a concert series project of our Executive Director Dexter Jackson was featured in 225 Magazine.
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