SAYS Poet-Mentor Educators

In January of 2010, SAYS initiated a six-week poet-mentor training program focused on Effective Pedagogy and Artistic Development.  SAYS recruited 15 poet-mentors from UC Davis and the larger Sacramento Capital Region.  These 15 poet-mentors represented a diverse cross-section of individuals from various economic, social, and educational backgrounds.  Each of the poet-mentors shared a passion for poetry and a deep commitment to teaching disadvantaged youth.  Through the recruitment process we created a diverse and dynamic team.  However, after reviewing the initial evaluations, we realized that we had to re-think our training program in order to place greater emphasis on their roles as arts-based educators, and not simply performing artists. 

In the 2010-11 academic year, we expanded our networks to recruit an even broader array of educators, artists and activists to participate in our six-week training.  As a result of our efforts, we were able to obtain a cohort comprised of twelve dedicated poet-mentors who were highly capable of implementing the SAYS praxis.  Through extensive reading and writing workshops, small group activities and curriculum development, SAYS engaged these twelve adults, ranging in age from 18-47, in a sustained critical dialogue focused on the most effective ways to reach and teach the youth of Sacramento.  As the program was implemented and challenges arose in the classrooms and after-school sites we serviced, we made further modifications to our training.  We were also able to problem solve and find ways to address the many issues that emerged as the program was implemented.  As a result, this year’s program proved to be even more effective than the program implemented in the prior year.