Education Partnerships

Young DFW Writers (YDFW) provides a 16-week (October-March) literary arts curriculum to participating Dallas-Fort Worth schools, with four levels of involvement tailored to each campus. Lessons are aligned with poetry current TEKS. Schools work with YDFW teaching artists to create inter- and intra-school programming in preparation for the school’s participation in a school-wide performance and DFW’s Louder Than a Bomb Poetry Festival (LTAB).

Workshops combine old school craft techniques with new school poetics and help challenge students to study craft through critical examination of literary greats, modern leaders in the genre, and through examination of the lyrics of hip-hop. Students are shown different approaches to writing, often using pieces by acclaimed contemporary poets and lyricists as a starting point, and given writing prompts to begin the work of crafting individual and group poems.

Each teaching artist is a nationally recognized poet and writer and has completed the rigorous LTAB Teaching Artist Training Program. During these residencies, YDFW teaching artists can visit the school to perform original work, lead a master class, and/or critique student work, depending on the needs of the teacher.

Cultivation of the critical voice of the student, with emphasis on creating self-definition and definition of the world around them, culminates when we bring students together for Crossing the Street (which kicks off the LTAB festival) and the metroplex-wide YDFW oetry Festival. Rather than emphasize individual poets and performances, the structure of the program demands that kids work collaboratively with their peers, presenting, critiquing, and rewriting their pieces. At the same time, YDFW cultivates self-definition and activities that aid students in defining the world around them, initially building an environment of mutual trust and support on each individual campus. The program takes place at each partnership school twice a week, during the lunch hour or after school.

Check the Method Workshops

Check The Method offers rigorous instruction in some of the most vital issues facing young people today. A combination of Ted talk, writing workshop, town hall meeting, and poetry reading, this annual Fall event creates community and builds relationships for students from all over the metroplex. Hosted by longtime partners this event brings some of America’s most prominent poets and activist to workshop and perform with our students in personal settings.

Giselle B Robinson Award

Giselle B Robinson was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands & was brought to Texas by way of New Jersey in the early 2000s. Robinson became a pillar in the Southwest poetry scene, recognized by her St. Thomas accent & raw poetry. Giselle’s voice and her words, her stories and her style, reflected the deeply ingrained West Indian values and traditions she was raised with. She was warm and smooth, deep and as vibrant as the Caribbean Sea. She was on several local slam teams multiple times, performing nationally & at national competitions.

In 2014, she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer but in spite of her illness, Robinson exuded sheer determination while her poetry community rallied around her to provide love, support and encouragement. On November 18, 2015, Giselle Robinson passed away, yet always reminded us to tell our truth.

In honor of Giselle B. Robinson, an annual award for the best written poem is presented to sophomores and juniors, in her name.

In 2017, The University of Pennsylvania and Kelly's Writers House partnered with YDFW, Inc. to annually sponsor two student winners of the Giselle B Robinson award for full scholarships to their summer writing program. 

In 2022, YDFW partnered with the University of Iowa’s Writing Institute to sponsor the Giselle Robinson’s award with a trip to their summer writing program.