Saturday, April 18, 2026
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Grand View University
Morning Poetry Workshop Session (Pick One)
Saturday, April 18, 2026
1:30 - 3:00 p.m. | Grand View University
Afternoon Poetry Workshop Session (Pick One)
Youth Workshops
Engaging youth in poetry is a critical piece of our mission. We are thrilled to collaborate with many community partners to arrange the youth workshops below.
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For more information on youth workshops, please contact poetryamp@gmail.com.
Note: These youth workshops are not open to the public.​
2026 Poetry Palooza Youth Workshops
Friday, April 17, 2026
8:45 - 10: 30 a.m.
Bondurant Middle School
Led by Kelli Lage
Participants: Students grades 7-12
Expressing Yourself Through Personification Poetry
Students will read a personification poem with the title removed. After discussing and analysing the piece, students will have a chance to guess the poem's title. Students will then have an opportunity to write their own personification poem. Students will use figurative language to express themselves by personifying objects they come across everyday. Students will leave the workshop with one new poem and ideas about what to explore next in their writing!
Friday, April 17, 2026
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
DMACC Urban Campus
Led by Martín Espada
Participants: Latinos in Action students from East, North, Roosevelt, Lincoln, & Urbandale High Schools
We are eager to bring poet Martín Espada to the students of Latinos in Action from several metro area high schools. Workshop details to come.
Friday, April 17, 2026
9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Atlantic High School
Led by Jewel Rodgers
Participants: High school students grades 9-12
Big Mood
​Big Mood is an interactive performance lab that helps writers master the art of embodiment through vocal dynamics, commanding body language, and intentional tone. This is how we bridge the gap between what you write and what the audience feels.
Friday, April 17, 2026
9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Meskwaki School (Tama)
Led by Kimberly Blaeser
Participants: Middle & high school students grades 7-12
Bringing People Alive in Poems
How can we write about the memorable or influential people in our lives in a fresh way? How do we render personality in poetry? This workshop will look at examples of unique people poems by poets such as Ada Limon, Simon Ortiz, and Nikki Giovanni and consider the approaches or poetic elements that make the poems effective. Participants will respond to prompts and engage in writing exercises to generate material. Please bring a photo of a person for one of the exercises. While this person may be someone you know or knew well, it could as readily be a public personality or historic figure. Students will leave with a poem draft and a bank of ideas to continue their writing.
Additional Youth Programming Partnerships
Oakridge Neighborhood, Led by Lenny Bell
Central Academy, Led by Lenny Bell
Central Iowa Shelter & Services, Led by Kelsey Bigelow