Press Relase: WritersCorps Invited to Attend Barack Obama’s Poetry Night

CONTACT: Melissa Hung, 415-252-4655, melissa.hung@sfgov.org
Kate Patterson, 415-252-4638, kate.patterson@sfgov.org

WRITERSCORPS INVITED TO ATTEND
BARACK OBAMA’S WHITE HOUSE POETRY NIGHT

After winning prestigious national award at the White House, WritersCorps is invited back for a day of poetry events hosted by the President and First Lady

SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2011 – After being recognized with a prestigious national award by First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony last fall, WritersCorps, a project of the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Public Library, has been invited back to the White House for a day of poetry events hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

On May 11, the president and first lady will celebrate American poetry by hosting a gathering of poets, musicians and artists. 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 White House’s continued acknowledgement of WritersCorps is both an honor and a testament to the program’s incredible work, which has transformed the lives of hundreds of youth through creative expression,” said Luis R. Cancel, director of Cultural Affairs for the San Francisco Arts Commission. “We hope that this national recognition will build awareness locally and encourage public participation in our events and programs.”

““We couldn’t be more proud that our young writers and poets from WritersCorps have been invited to this remarkable White House poetry celebration,” said City Librarian Luis Herrera. “It is so rewarding to see this wonderful writing program recognized once again, because it provides an outlet for so many San Francisco youths to have their creative voices heard and instill in them a love for the written word.”

WritersCorps will take four of its students to Washington DC to participate in the White House poetry events. 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. WritersCorps has served approximately 700 youth in public schools, after-school programs, libraries, and juvenile hall during the 2010-11 academic year, and more than 16,000 students since its inception in 1994.

Last October, WritersCorps was awarded a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award by First Lady Michelle Obama. Chosen from a pool of more than 400 nominations and 50 finalists, WritersCorps was one of 15 youth programs across the country to receive the award, the highest honor such programs can receive in the United States. The award honored WritersCorps for its effectiveness in developing creativity and fostering academic success by engaging young people in the arts and humanities. The awards are administered by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

About WritersCorps
WritersCorps places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. Since its inception in 1994, the program has helped over 16,000 young people from neighborhoods throughout San Francisco improve their literacy and increase their desire to learn. WritersCorps is a joint project of the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Public Library, and conducts free writing workshops at public schools, libraries, community organizations, and the Juvenile Justice Center. For more information about WritersCorps, please visit www.writerscorps.org.

About the San Francisco Arts Commission
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is the City agency that champions the arts in San Francisco. We believe that a creative cultural environment is essential to the City’s well-being. Established by charter in 1932, SFAC programs integrate the arts into all aspects of City life. Programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Arts & Education, Cultural Equity Grants, Public Art, SFAC Gallery, Street Artists Licensing, and the San Francisco Symphony Youth and Family Concert Series. The agency’s core values are committed to the principle that all residents have equal access to arts experiences in all disciplines, that programs are provided comprehensively and evenly throughout the City, and that they are innovative and of the highest quality.