END OF A FELLOWSHIP AND NEW BEGINNINGS
I have just returned home from my six weeks in the USA with Poetry in
America!
Massive thank you to The Mercers’ Company and the Churchill Fellowship for
awarding me my fellowship and an extra huge thank you to Poetry in America
for allowing me to follow them around the States for six weeks.
In the last week of my research, I was lucky enough to meet several members of
the PiA team from ASU, hearing how the courses work in practical terms.
I was also delighted to accept a Fellowship from both Dr New and Dr Lois
Brown, Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. I hope to
have a residency, at ASU, of poetry that explores both race and democracy in
our collective spoken words.
My take on my research is quite simple – I have seen the power of poetry in
education, I have seen the lifesaving, life-giving and life-changing
demonstrations in the USA, I have seen poetry taught, within the USA, as a
separate subject and I have felt poetry moving teenagers to believe in
themselves and learn who they are.
WE NEED POETRY IN EDUCATION IN THE UK!

Hannah. 3/26/2024.

THE POWER OF POETRY!
I have been in Arizona for one week.
I competed in and won the Phoenix Poetry Slam hosted by B-Jamm.
I have been filmed for a season 5 episode of ‘Poetry in America’.
This is the power of poetry.
I have been in the USA for 5 weeks and I have 1 week left to research Dr New
and Poetry in America. I have learnt so much from the Churchill Fellowship
research trip, funded by The Mercers’ Company. None of it would have been
possible without their support.
I get to tour Arizona State University in my final week and finish my extensive
jigsaw with the final pieces of an education puzzle that will help to change the
UK National Curriculum for OUR children to be given what they deserve.
The power of poetry.

Hannah. 3/18/2024.

ALL THINGS THAT GO SLAM IN THE NIGHT.

Last leg of my Churchill Fellowship and I am in ARIZONA!

Landing on Monday at 6.40am, I was at the Arizona poetry slam by 6.30pm and it was SO worth it.

I got to the final 5, 2^nd round, along with 3 REGIONAL slam team members. I feel very honoured that I was held in the same room as some of the best in Arizona!

So far this is my record:

Lizard Lounge poetry jam – Winner.

Austin poetry slam – Competed.

Ghost Poetry show – Final 5.

I can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that I have made the slam team semi-finals in Boston, happening next month, due to winning the Lizard Lounge poetry slam.

ALL THANKS TO THE CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP, THE MERCERS’ COMPANY AND POETRY IN AMERICA.

I am meeting with Dr New and it feels like the last piece of a very enjoyable jigsaw. I would like to understand just how Poetry In America has become the life changing educational program that it is today, as well as having 4 seasons of a tv show that interviews some of the BIGGEST names in the USA, all with poetry at the heart of the organisation.

I have the once in a lifetime opportunity to ask the creator and founder those very questions!

It is going to be a good day!

Stay tuned, poetry people!

Hannah. 3/13/2024.

SXSW EDU 2024

AUSTIN, TEXAS

South By South West Education Conference is OVER!

From the 4^th to the 7^th of March, it is one of the LARGEST Conferences in the world and I WAS THERE!

Invited by the Poetry In America team, as their guest, to join Dr New and the team in all things poetry and education.

WHAT A GIFT!

I got into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at Midday and by 4pm, I was sitting in the Austin Conference Center with Dr New (who is the most humble, friendly and inspirational person I have had the pleasure to meet, at the session: Teaching Literature & Civics with Phyllis Wheatley, an 18^th-century Black, enslaved teenage poet who became a published poet in London.

I also had the privilege of meeting Lois Brown, Director of the Center for the study of race and Democracy & Foundation Professor of English at ASU and Ann Friedman, Founder and CEO of Planet Word in Washington D.C.

I joined panels and sessions across the week and I PERFORMED on stage at SXSW and at the Austin Poetry Slam!

MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO THE CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP AND THE MERCERS’ COMPANY for awarding me my fellowship to have a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience.

ARIZONA NEXT STOP!

Love,

Hannah. 3/8/2024.

BYE BYE BOSTON – HELLO TEXAS!

We will be leaving Boston in two days’ time for the SXSW EDU festival in Austin, Texas.

Dr Elisa New, Creator and Founder of Poetry In America, is on a panel at the festival. I was invited to join the team as a guest for the week.

BUT FIRST……………………

I feel very honoured to have met most of the Poetry In America team.

I feel extremely blessed to have visited a High School class setting in the Bronx, New York.

I heard, first-hand, from students taking the Poetry In America program. They were able to communicate eloquently and passionately about what poetry has done for them.

Their Principal is a very strong advocate for the Poetry In America program.

I was shocked to hear some of those students whose second language is English, have learnt how to speak, read and write English because of the Poetry In America program.

That is an outstanding achievement, replicated in schools across America.

I will get to meet Dr Elisa New, creator and founder of Poetry In America, I have to admit I am slightly nervous about this.

What Dr New has created is life changing and life giving, I am sure that the next phase of my research is going to catapult me into a new dimension of learning.

I look forward to bringing you with me.

Hannah. 3/4/2024.

What an honour given to me through my Churchill Fellowship !

A visit to Bronx Career and College Preparatory High School, to witness the Poetry in America course delivered in a classroom.

Along with the National Education Equity Lab, these incredible students have been given the opportunity to be ready for college.

I met with Principal Winn,
Caitlin Ballotta Rajagopalan from Poetry in America,
Ann Powell and Asheley Siewnarine from the National Education Equity Lab

Plus 7 highly talented students from 11th and 12th grade, who told us in their own words what poetry has done for them.

Thank you in advance!

Regards, 

Hannah. 2/27/2024.

Hi all,

I am Hannah Maria Stanislaus and I am into my second week with Poetry In America for my Churchill Fellowship 2023 research project.

What a week it has been! I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime and I just want to briefly reiterate what it is I am doing in the U S of A.

The main aim of this project is:

▪ To change the UK National Curriculum to prioritize Poetry in English, for children aged 5-16, to promote diversity, equality and inclusion through learning and writing their own poetry, as well as a
way to help children to communicate how they feel for personal development.

The research of the Churchill Fellowship consists of:

▪ Seeing how poetry is taught in American High Schools, who participate in the Poetry in America Dual Enrollment extension program.

▪ Investigating the Professional Development program for teachers, where knowledge and confidence of how to teach poetry is given.

▪ Understanding how the Poetry in America TV seasons have helped to promote understanding of poetry in American homes.

I joined the promotion and outreach team, Samanta Mendoza and Brie Martin, to learn how Poetry in America reaches teachers all over the Country and how their unique partnerships with State and
National organizations have positively impacted their promotion and overall outreach.
Having spent the weekend digesting all I had learnt so far, Monday came around FAST………..

I attended a fun, engaging meeting with Samantha Corsini and Steven Allardi, Education Video Editors, where I learnt quite a few important tips regarding age-appropriate content for learning and
how video content can enhance teaching for poetry. Followed by an education briefing with Caitlin Rajagopalan, Director of Education and Strategy, who carefully explained the way Poetry
In America has been able to be so successful in the classrooms just by listening to what teachers need for their students. Privileged to join the weekly education team meeting, where I felt
like part of the Poetry In America family, hearing how all parts of the cogs of the organisation work extra hard to bring it perfectly together.

It didn’t stop there, next was a meeting with the Grants team, Adam Kosan was very insightful when explaining that without significant funding and partnerships, Poetry In America wouldn’t be what it is
today and that the organisation is where it is because of these important relationships.
Peter Kahn, who doesn’t work for Poetry In America, met with me after being introduced to me by Poetry In America. A massive thank you to PiA for the meeting. Peter and I discussed his inspirational
work in the late 90’s/early 2000s, which aligns with what I am trying to achieve today.

Lastly, I met with Jeffrey Careyva and Gillian Osbourne, the Education content creators for PiA who were incredible at explaining the course content and how it is specifically tailored for the students.
High School, Middle School, adult learners and teachers all have accessible and portable poetry on a wide range of themes, giving a multitude of perspectives and a chorus of poets’ voices.

All I can say is ………… Roll on week 3!

Love,

Hannah. 2/23/2024.

Hello all,

I am Hannah Maria Stanislaus and I have chosen Poetry in America for my Churchill Fellowship 2023 research project.

The main aim of this project is :

• To change the UK National Curriculum to prioritise Poetry in English, for children aged 5-16, to promote diversity, equality and inclusion through learning and writing their own poetry, as well as a way to help children to communicate how they feel for personal development.

The research of the Churchill Fellowship consists of :

• Seeing how poetry is taught in American High Schools, who participate in the Poetry in America Dual Enrolment extension program.

•  Investigating the Professional Development program for teachers, where knowledge and confidence of how to teach poetry is given.

• Understanding how the Poetry in America TV seasons have helped to promote understanding of poetry in American homes.

My first week in Boston consisted of meeting Brie Martin at Harvard University to see where it all started. I went to the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard, where I was given a comprehensive run down of the history of Poetry in America.

I then met with Senior TV Editor, Peter Rhodes, who was able to explain how the TV season was carefully and thoughtfully put together in a way for people to follow the poetry in real time.

I was given a tour of the Poetry in America offices, where I saw first-hand their extensive research archive, compiled meticulously by Dr Elisa New – Founder and Creator of Poetry In America.

This is just my first week of a six week research trip and I wanted to share what I had found so far.

Hannah. 2/20/24.