Lit Youngstown, in partnership with the Youngstown City Schools and Stambaugh Auditorium, presents CityVerse: a Youth Poetry Showcase. This free program is open to 30 students from Chaney and East High Schools and Rayen Early College.Â
The program will include six poetry workshops from March to May led by poets Quartez Harris and Raja Freeman of Cleveland, Barbara Fant of Columbus, and Shaunda Yancey of Youngstown. Students will read their original work at Christman Hall in Stambaugh Auditorium at 7pm on June 4, 2024 where community judges Debbie Allen, Ahmed Sutton, and Jimmy Sutman will select five students to win $100 cash prizes and one student a $5000 scholarship. The reading is free and open to the public.
Interested students may contact school coordinators Kristen DeToro at East High School, Shaunda Yancey at Rayen Early College or Maria Pappas at Chaney High School for more information. Funding from the Mahoning County Commissioners, Bill Mullane & Betsy Barrickman, Gary & Kathy Salvner and Sarah Ziegler includes books and writing supplies for all students. Pizza and transportation will be provided and no prior writing experience is required.
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by funds awarded to the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners under Assistance Listing No. 21.027 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.