Youth Speaks Hawaii
Encyclopedia
Youth Speaks Hawaii is a regional branch of the non-profit literary organization Youth Speaks. Founded in January 2005, the organization focuses on teaching students between the ages of 13 and 19 in the writing and performance of slam poetry
. YSH runs weekly workshops with mentors from throughout the Hawaii poetry slam community, and special guest mentors, which are open for all interested students to write, read, and discuss poetry and performance.
Since its creation Youth Speaks Hawaii has participated in the annual Brave New Voices
, the international championship for Youth Speaks, by sending a team of up to six poets to each event. In the 2007 Brave New Voices championship, held in San Jose, California
, YSH placed 7th among the 35 teams. Preceding the 2008 event, held in Washington DC, YSH was chosen as one of the teams featured in HBO's series "Russell Simmons Presents: Brave New Voices." Hawaii finished first in that year's event, the eleventh and largest to date. The following year at the event held in Chicago, Illinois, with a total of 50 teams competing, Hawaii repeated as champions.
Youth Speaks Hawaii mentors, including poets from the Hawaii Slam
Team and YSH alumni, offer a weekly workshop as well as special programs at several schools throughout Oahu. Beginning in April 2010 YSH also runs a monthly slam every second Saturday (entitled 2nd SATurdays) at 1159 Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu.
Slam poetry
A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work. These performances are then judged on a numeric scale by previously selected members of the audience.-History:...
. YSH runs weekly workshops with mentors from throughout the Hawaii poetry slam community, and special guest mentors, which are open for all interested students to write, read, and discuss poetry and performance.
Since its creation Youth Speaks Hawaii has participated in the annual Brave New Voices
Brave New Voices
Brave New Voices is an English-language slam poetry championship that takes place each year in United States. It was founded in 1998 by Youth Speaks, a non-profit organisation from San Francisco promoting youth intellectual and artistic self development...
, the international championship for Youth Speaks, by sending a team of up to six poets to each event. In the 2007 Brave New Voices championship, held in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, YSH placed 7th among the 35 teams. Preceding the 2008 event, held in Washington DC, YSH was chosen as one of the teams featured in HBO's series "Russell Simmons Presents: Brave New Voices." Hawaii finished first in that year's event, the eleventh and largest to date. The following year at the event held in Chicago, Illinois, with a total of 50 teams competing, Hawaii repeated as champions.
Youth Speaks Hawaii mentors, including poets from the Hawaii Slam
Hawaii Slam
Hawai'i Slam is a certified poetry slam that was founded on April 3, 2003 by performance poet Kealoha. Hawai'i Slam is responsible for the First Thursdays Poetry Slam at Fresh Cafe, which is the largest registered/certified slam poetry venue in the world...
Team and YSH alumni, offer a weekly workshop as well as special programs at several schools throughout Oahu. Beginning in April 2010 YSH also runs a monthly slam every second Saturday (entitled 2nd SATurdays) at 1159 Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu.