Bicultural Poetry Program

 
 

The Bicultural Poetry Program fosters cultural exchange and supports bilingual poets in the State of Missouri. The program engages diverse communities through workshops and educational activities; empowering individuals to express themselves, connect with others, and appreciate the richness of bilingualism.

Modalities

  1. The LatinX Verse: a workshop for junior year students in local high schools and non profit with a high Hispanic population in Missouri featuring a paid internship for Latinx students at UMKC.

  2. Online Bicultural Poetry Workshop: a mixed modality workshop for bilingual poets designed to promote a cultural exchange between students with different experiences around language and immigration.

  3. Pop up workshops: we work in collaboration with non-profits like Literacy KC, Sala De Arte and UMKC to bring bilingual poetry workshops closer to the community.

Inquiries: waleska@nodividekc.org

Bicultural Poetry Program Anthology Launch, 10/5/24

“Our Identidad”

CURRENT PROGRAMMING

Click on image to register

Register by emailing support@gildasclubkc.org

 
 

Call for Facilitators

Become a Facilitator at the Bicultural Poetry Program!

We are seeking passionate facilitators to lead the Bicultural Poetry Program. The program operates throughout the year with workshops taking place across the spring, summer and fall. Workshops have different modalities such as online, in-person and hybrid. Workshops take place at partnering schools and organizations and may have different focus areas depending on the partner. Please indicate your availability in the google form.

Current Partners:

UMKC Department of Foreign Language and Literature

UMKC Department of of Criminal Justice and Criminology

Literacy KC

Kansas City Public Schools Department of Equity, Inclusion, and Innovation 

Raytown High School

Paseo High School

Northeast High School

Latinx Education Collaborative

Sala De Arte KC

Gilda’s Club KC 

Program Details

  • Focus: Poetry workshops centered on mental health and the concept of identity.
    You’re encouraged to conceptualize your session as you wish, but guidance will be provided to align with our curriculum.

  • Audience: We offer services to a broad range of ages and backgrounds. However, our target audience is:

  • Junior year high school students and young adults

  • Schedule: Exact dates and times will be coordinated with facilitators and participants upon acceptance, hours will be flexible and based on the facilitators availability.

  • Format: Both online and in-person options are available.
    In-person sessions will take place in Kansas City.

  • Compensation: Facilitators are paid by the workshop with stipends varying from $100-$300 depending on the type of workshop. 

  • Length: Most workshops are 1.5 to 3 hours and take place at partnering schools and organizations.

Qualifications

  • Experience in poetry and workshop facilitation.

  • Interest in mental health and identity topics.

  • Interest in biculturalism and examining how heritage and cultural influences shape identity.

  • Bilingualism is encouraged but not required.

Application Deadline:

March 28th 2025

For inquiries, contact Waleska Font at waleska@nodividekc.org.

What is Biculturalism?

Biculturalism is the ability to navigate and embrace the values, traditions, and customs of two different cultures. This could mean balancing the cultural practices of your family or community with those of your school, workplace, or society at large. For example, you might speak one language at home and another in public, or celebrate holidays that reflect both your heritage and your current environment.

But biculturalism isn’t limited to nationalities or geographic locations—it’s also about the culture we experience within ourselves and the unique worlds we create. Whether it’s reconciling personal values with societal norms or blending creative and professional identities, biculturalism is about the richness of living between multiple influences.

The Bicultural Poetry Program aims to explore and celebrate these multifaceted identities through poetry, inviting facilitators and participants from all backgrounds to share and grow together.