Art is alive at tara high!

Spring 2023 Community Night:  A Night of Untold Stories!

The evening of Monday, April 24th, was one for the books as the students from Amped Studio and YALL came together to conclude their spring semester at Humanities Amped Community Night Showcase and Family Table event.

With their works centered around the theme of "untold stories," student artists took the stage to present their creative projects. After presenting their works, Students were treated to live performances by poets: Toi Whitney Ann, Flo Darese, and Toi the Poetic Beauty who presented their works and lived experiences also centering the theme of untold stories. Through heartfelt verses and soul-stirring performances, they demonstrated how the power  leave a lasting impact .

The excitement didn't end there! The students of YALL (Youth Apprentice Leadership League) had something special in store. With a shared mission to amplify student voices, they presented their plan to revive the student government association at Tara High School. Their vision is to create a platform for students to be heard and empowered through collaboration and democratic action. 
The night was a celebration of artistic expression and student advocacy, weaving together the threads of untold stories and the collective desire for a voice. It was a testament to the power of young minds, their ability to inspire, and their unwavering commitment to making a difference. ​

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THS Poetry Slam Team

Poetry is alive at Tara High School! Throughout the month of February, students and faculty were invited to submit their original poetry in response to weekly prompts. Students who submitted poems were invited to share their writing at a school-wide open mic on March 15. Tara students, Tara faculty, and Amped staff all took to the mic to share their words with one another. The event concluded with a brief writing workshop based on Mahogany L. Browne's poem "Black Girl Magic" and a second opportunity to share.​

Jannat Almashhadni, Vilma Yulieth Enamorado Guzman, Elijah Cage, Layla Brown, Aja Cummings, Kaden Smith, Cassidy Carey, and Andrick Bonilla were selected as members of Tara High School’s first Slam Poetry Team. Together with Amped teaching artist Kalivyn Marquix, Anna West, and Tara Literacy Coach Paula LaCour, the students met after school to prepare to perform at EBR’s Second Annual District-Wide Poetry Slam. The Tara team presented two group poems and one individual poem, and had the highest representation of any school at the event. On April 5, the Slam Team took their exceptional work on tour around Tara’s campus.

At their final meeting, Kalivyn invited the team to review the goals they had established together on the first day. In response to the questions "What do we want? What do you hope to get out of the Poetry Slam Team?" the students had written respect, being comfortable with each other, help each other with our writing,  enhance creativity, have fun, releasing our emotional energy with our words, to grow as a team, creating group experiences, make history, make long lasting friendships, and learn about each other. As Kalivyn read down the list, the team agreed without question: they had met each and every goal.

At Humanities Amped, we are proud to make creative, supportive spaces accessible to young people. Check out some of the team’s amazing work below!

Cold & Hot
by Cassidy Carey

Cold Water
Freezing.
Stinging.
Icy.
Frigid.
The cold water is
Unwelcoming.
Frightening.
Depressing.
Cold.
Unwanted.
No one wants
To bathe in it
To shower in it
To stand in it
To feel it on their skin.
It is bland
It is a barrier
It hurts…
But soon
Warmth
Warmth hugs me
Warmth makes me happy
Warmth appraises me for my hard work
Warmth is this poem-
It fills me!
It helps me sleep at night
It keeps me comfortable, warm to the core and aching for more
Welcoming
Wanted
Joyful
Happy
Warm water makes me happy…
But soon again,
Hot.
Too hot-
It’s scalding!
Burning
Like a blast of hot lava, 
Too hot for me to handle
Unwelcoming again
Frightening again
Scary…
It burns my skin
Why can’t it stay warm?
Why can’t I stay warm?

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Thank you to our Spring 2023 Adelante Volunteers!

Alexandra Marquez
Alexis Stephens
Amalia Arriola
Carson Gagliano
Cate O’Byrne
Corey Keller
Cristoffer Garcia
Cyrus Bronson
Dorian Lewis
Hannah Rodrigue
James Peter Kelly
Judit Garcia
Kayla Mayo
Molly Dreznick
Ngan Tran
Olivia Smith
Rachel McGuire
Sicily Stull
Sydney Whitfield
Victor J. Sanchez

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WHAT'S NEW AT HUMANITIES AMPED

The team at Humanities Amped would like to extend our gratitude to the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation for their generous funding of $60,000 to Humanities Amped and a $250,000 matching grant for the Youth City Lab! We also acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Franklin and Associates in raising $10,100 during the Taste of Mid-City! Thank you to all community members who contributed to the success of the event, as your support will empower young minds through the humanities, making a profound impact in our community!