Schools
Still Waters Collective offers interactive experiences to classrooms and youth focused programs. Our teaching artists can deliver one-time workshops or a residency series. While our programming is focused for grades 4-12, we are always willing to create custom experiences for early education or collegiate classes.
The Milwaukee High School Slam League (HSSL) connects teens across the city with open mics and dialogues to share experiences, explore community topics. HSSL clubs meet weekly from September to November, including full network events. From December to February, sites gain instruction on creative writing, storytelling, and spoken word. Many participate in competition series. City Finals Championship takes place in April.
Junior City Slam (JCS) is an immersion experience in mindfulness, communication, community stewardship and self-expression. While the High School Slam League spans fall and winter quarters, JCS is an abbreviated series to sharpen the elements of creativity, writing, public speaking, individual agency, problem solving and collaborative work. JCS consists of a six-week residency; a showcase and offsite Flow Write Retreat for 4-6 grade; an assembly and offsite poetry slam for 7 & 8 grades.
Scholastic Writing Awards of Milwaukee is a regional affiliate the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the largest, most prestigious and longest-running search for teen artists, writers and innovators. The Milwaukee Awards launched in 2009. Since, more than a thousand poems, essays, novels and stories have been submitted by area youth in grades 7-12. Teachers are invited to schedule fall WordShops in to begin and new works for a December submission. . Submissions due in December. Regional awards showcase in spring.
Write Away Wordshops and Residencies introduce unique explorations in writing, reflection and critical thinking. WordShops are one-time sessions where a Still Waters teaching artist guides the class through a prompt, discussion and writing exercise. Residencies can span from six weekly sessions to a full school year.
We present a 45-minute live spoken word show for the entire school, featuring seasoned alumni performers, teen participants from various schools, a DJ and, hopefully, a few students from your student body. The assemblies are a positive and high energy engagement for grades 7-12.
The Flow Write Retreat is a full day immersion experience for grades 4-9. Up to 100 students are guided through discussions, activities, challenges and games to build language, stories and confidence. The students are active and engaged in fresh ways. The Flow Write Retreat will also be offered for parents and communities for school days out.
The prospect of writing a poem or short story can be intimidating for students and for teachers. More than Words In-Service for Teachers introduces fresh objectives for incorporating creativity and writing activities in classrooms across grades and curriculum. Key to the discussion will be research that highlights learning opportunities and critical thinking skills embedded in the creative writing process. This half day session will be interactive, hands-on and fast-paced.