By Anna Lei, WritersCorps student

My first time being in the East Coast was four day’s worth of overwhelming memories. On May 10th, our little group of nominated student poets, supervised by WritersCorps’ program manager, Melissa Hung, departed SFO at 10 am on a plane bound for Washington DC. We were invited to attend the White House Poetry Workshop presented by our first lady, Michelle Obama.

For most of us, this was the first time meeting each other, but as we spent more time together, we bonded through our similarities. Besides being poets, some of us were avid Harry Potter fans and all of us couldn’t live without the Internet. In the evenings you would’ve found all five of us around the dining room table with our laptops, uploading photos from our adventurous day or updating statuses about the places we’ve been to.

The most memorable experience, though, was being invited into the White House, the very reason for our expedition to our country’s capital. In the White House we were ushered into the State Room, which held a large painting of President Lincoln staring down at us. I sat in the very last row, right in front of the cameramen with their large noisy cameras, straining my neck to see past the heads in front of me. The Poetry Workshop commenced with an introduction from Elizabeth Alexander, who commented on the importance of the creative arts in education. Ms. Alexander then introduced Tiesha Hines, a high school senior who had the honor of welcoming our first lady on stage. Mrs. Michelle Obama was stunningly beautiful; I couldn’t believe I was sitting only a few yards from her. Mrs. Obama added her own remarks about creative arts in education and said writing is not only a way to express oneself but also to connect with other people. I was happily surprised to hear she had also dabbled in creative writing during her younger days, though, of course she is still very young.

The poet Elizabeth Alexander.

After Mrs. Obama took her seat, Ms. Alexander invited the featured poets in pairs. First up were Billy Collins and Rita Dove, both extraordinary and inspiring former poets laureate and two of my personal favorite poets. They spoke about the process of writing poetry, how at first you imitate the work of someone else, then gradually be unsatisfied with imitating and finally start inventing your own style. They taught us that you first write for yourself, then you write for your audience. Then, after a Q&A was held, Kenneth Goldsmith and Alison Knowles replaced Billy Collins and Rita Dove on stage. They both explained to us their unique techniques in writing poetry. I learned that there are many different ways you can write and writing should never be a difficult process. Again there was a Q&A. Then six student poets read a poem each in turn, one of which was Raeme (aka one of the avid HP fan), and I was extremely envious. Aimee Mann performed her song “Save Me” and then after Q&A, the workshop ended. Then we were hurried out of the White House.

Rita Dove and Bill Collins answer questions from the audience.

When we arrived back home in San Francisco, all of us had a pile of school work waiting for us. Of course, all the extra hours into the night used to finish missed homework was definitely worth it. It was an once-in-a-lifetime experience, though I am still very jealous of those who got the chance to read in front of a room full of very important people. I hope President Obama and Mrs. Obama continue their support in the creative arts, and also in student poets, so that others and I can have many more opportunities like this one.

Anna inside the White House!

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Anna Lei is a sophomore at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco. She has been attending WritersCorps for two years and likes to write whatever is on her mind. One of the things she wants to accomplish in life is to learn how to ride a bike.

By Raeme Miccio Gavino, WritersCorps student

Originally posted at Lightbox SF

I went to the White House for Barack Obama’s White House Poetry Night and the White House Student Poetry Workshop hosted by Elizabeth Alexander and the First Lady. I made the long trip from San Francisco with WritersCorps, a creative writing program that works under the San Francisco Arts Commission. It’s an awesome and innovative organization that comes into local high schools and other venues with the goal of supporting young people and works with students who are passionate about poetry and poetic prose. They also teach methods to introduce creative writing to students who may not have expressed interest in the past. I’ve been participating with WritersCorps since September as a part of my AP Composition class.

The workshop consisted of about 75 young creative writers from around the country, members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and world-renowned poets. It was set up like a Q&A forum, led by Elizabeth Alexander. After speaking with four poets, six of the young poets — including myself — each read a piece aloud to the audience. My peers’ pieces were emotional, empowering, and immensely insightful.

A few weeks ago, I had no idea I’d be heading to DC to read a poem in the State Room, to recite a poem and an interview on the White House balcony, to conduct interviews with local media organizations, and to have an overall positive and thought provoking visit to our nation’s capitol. In addition to my personal experiences at the White House, I was able to bask in the presence of acclaimed artists such as Billy Collins, Kenneth Goldsmith, Aimee Man, Jill Scott, and many more.

Independent of WritersCorps and the White House, I’m a passionate creative writer and reader. When I learned to read “chapter books” (my first being a Goosebumps book), I somehow knew I’d be a writer someday. I’ve always found solace in weaving words this way and that — putting my imagination to greater use. Through my passion for creative writing, I’ve found composition to be a universal medium with which humans can express passion, goals, love for nature, a political or philosophical argument, or (maybe) a blog post.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been with friends or acquaintances (in the park, at a café, during lunch) and a notebook has been brought out. Usually a little worn, decorated, personalized. The author will crack the spine, look for a pertinent piece, and share it. Sometimes only with their closest cohort in the group, other times hushing the gathering to recite a line, or two, or three, or maybe the whole piece. This bringing together through well-contemplated syntax is always a warming feeling. You get to know the writer and you get to see the power of language.

If anyone is interested in further press about this experience, NBC Bay Area has short piece, and the SF Chronicle has written a blog post.

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Raeme Miccio Gavino is a high school senior at International Studies Academy, where she participates in WritersCorps. Raeme likes to write poems and short stories, and is working on two novels. She will be attending UC Santa Cruz in the fall.

It’s hard to believe that just last week, we were at the White House. WritersCorps was invited by the White House to participate in a poetry workshop hosted by none other than the first lady herself! Four WritersCorps students, accompanied by WritersCorps manager Melissa Hung, made the trip to DC for the rare opportunity to see esteemed poets discussing their work and giving advice in the White House’s state dining room.

Check out this news story in the San Francisco Chronicle about our visit, “WritersCorps pays another visit to the White House.”

And see this rhyming news story that ran on the Bay Area’s NBC station.

You can also see the entire workshop, hosted by poet Elizabeth Alexander, on the White House website. Click here to watch and see appearances by Rita Dove, Billy Collins, Kenneth Goldsmith, Alison Knowles, and Aimee Mann. One WritersCorps student, Raeme Miccio Gavino, also had the honor of reading one of her poems! See her read at about the 72:35 mark. We’re so proud!

We are thrilled to announce that WritersCorps has been invited back to the White House for a day of poetry! After being recognized with a prestigious national award by First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony last fall, WritersCorps students will be at the White House on May 11 for a day of poetry events hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Those slated to attend and perform include Elizabeth Alexander, Billy Collins, Common, Rita Dove, Kenneth Goldsmith, Alison Knowles, Aimee Mann and Jill Scott. In the afternoon, the first lady will host a writing workshop for students from across the country, including four students from WritersCorps.

The students are: Anna Lei, a 10th grader at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology; Hong Truong, a 10th grader at George Washington High School; Raeme Miccio Gavino, a 12th grader from International Studies Academy; and Yasmin Bhatti, a 12th grader from Mission High School. Read more here.

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) has released its landmark report “Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools” after 18 months of research. And who should be on the cover? San Francisco WritersCorps!

Pictured on the cover is former WritersCorps teaching artist Myron Michael Hardy with one of his students from Downtown High School. We just love this photo. Look at that smile on the student’s face! The photo was taken by Michele Kraus at our spring 2010 Claim the Block reading series. See the original photo here.

To download the report, which provides an analysis of the challenges and opportunities in the field of arts education, click here.