Our 2024 - 2025 Impact and Looking Ahead

To 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

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.

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%

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.

​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

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.