Youth Quote

— Carlos, age 14, in a verse form about the shooting death of his older brother

"Poetry saves lives. Art from Ashes is run by people who know this, and information technology serves people who need to know it. This is one of the best uses of poetry that I have always seen, and information technology's right hither in our own community. Bravo for AfA."

— one-time Denver Poet Laureate Chris Ransick

The Phoenix Ascent curriculum utilizes symbolism, metaphor and storytelling to engage youth who live in hopelessness and apply the language of victimization because of experiences and/or circumstances characterized by poverty, racism, gender identity, criminal activeness and abuse. AfA has provided youth empowerment workshops for virtually xiv,000 youth in Colorado over the past 16 years. Young people in our program attest to the ability of our unique iii-stride process of expression, connection, and transformation to aid them movement past their limitations and discover hope, humanity and self-determination through the ability of words.

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Every day in America, children face enormous events that people of any age would detect hard to endure. For young people the emotional toll is heavy, and often suffered throughout their lives. Khlib, a 15-yr-old in a residential treatment center, besides establish his vocalisation and a fashion to limited his pain through writing poetry:

"People who accept never heard the word poesy are however poets. When I was total of anger, breaking things, or just keeping warm inside myself crying, that was my verse…when y'all can identify what your poesy is saying and start using the canvas of your earth and not just breaking things at that place is so much flavorful love. I've learned how to vox my soul through poetry, and information technology's just invigorating to think back to when I ever had these feelings inside me, but I never let the world see my shine."

Our procedure is group-based and our curriculum is designed to be transformational. While information technology is not therapy, the procedure of writing has historically proven to have a beneficial effect on the healing process. As early as the first century, physicians were prescribing poetry for their patients. Considering of its effectiveness in dealing with trauma, the benefits of verse for health and wholeness are at present recognized past those in contemporary medical and scientific communities.

The Phoenix Ascent program combines the joint of painful events or circumstances in the lives of struggling young people; the opportunity to release the pain and fearfulness of those experiences among peers and mentors; and the guidance that allows youth to use strong, healthy words that encourage an identity based on choice rather than victimization.

Statistics of our work with youth conducted by the National Research Heart have shown that of the participants surveyed, 100% of the youth enjoyed the workshops; 73% experience better nigh themselves; 80% cared more about the feelings of others; and 80% wanted to be more involved in their community. Providing an opportunity for young people to express themselves can draw them out of isolation—and listening carefully to what they have to say is benign in itself.

"The showtime duty of beloved is to listen." —Paul Tillich

Writing about and hearing your own judgments, emotions and behaviors is cardinal to self-awareness. Considering nigh young people in the workshops recognize the love and respect being afforded them, they too begin to acknowledge that others—of various cultures, races, religions, and gender identification—have experienced like emotions, if non experiences or circumstances. This awareness serves to reconnect isolated young people with themselves, with each other, and with the community.

For more details nigh Phoenix Rising, please contact our Director of Programs using the form below: