RUNNING HEAD: POETIC JUSTICE 1

Poetic Justice

Project Plan

Katelyn Durst

Eastern University
Poetic Justice: Project Plan 2

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary & Introduction 3

II. Needs/Problems 5

III. Procedures/Scope of Work 6

IV. Goals and Objectives 8

V. Timetable 8

VI. Budget 11

VII. Key Personnel 15

VIII. Evaluation 16

IX. Endorsements 16

X. Appendices 17
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Executive Summary

Poetic Justice is a not-for-profit trauma-informed creative writing and social justice

organization serving the youth of Detroit. It's goal is to use creative writing workshops,

publishing opportunities infused with social justice practices and leadership development to

empower high school students in Detroit to turn trauma into triumph by the power of the written

word. All of our projects seek to be youth-run, youth-owned and youth-made. We started

piloting Poetic Justice with high schoolers at three public high schools in Detroit and by the time

the students reached eleventh grade, we turned the program over to them. The project is funded

by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs New Leaders & Retention Grant, the

National Endowment for the Arts, The Kresge Foundation, the Detroit Institute for the Arts and

the City of Detroit as well as private donors and in-kind donations.

Poetic Justice was formed after observing non-for-profit organizations who talk about

youth in the community without including them in the leadership discussions and program

implementation that students often have to just deal with. After taking a survey at our first three

local high schools, we learned that youth already feel disempowered by many of the adult and

peer influences in their lives yet they want to do something of value and matter. According to the

Skillman Foundation State of Detroit Child report there are 50,000 children from the ages 13-

18 in Detroit. Of that number 81.9% are African-American and upwards to 60% of these children

receive Food Assistance. Because of this data, we can assume an alarming number of children
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have been impacted by the trauma of poverty. The Family-Informed Trauma Center conducted

research on urban poverty and found that children families living in urban poverty are at high-

risk for , developing trauma-related symptoms or becoming a trauma-organized family system,

generally include prior individual or family psychiatric history, history of other previous traumas

or adverse childhood experiences, pile up of life stressors, severity/chronicity of traumatic

experiences, conflictual or violent family interactions, and lack of social support(n.d., Family-

Informed Treatment Trauma Center) Because the effects of urban poverty are so monumental,

many people have begun conducting trauma-informed care focused on poetry therapy infused

practices to help children and families cope and heal from their experiences. This form of

creative art therapy(poetry therapy) uses literature and poetry, writing, journaling, as well as the

language arts and storytelling to address issues such as, but not limited to feelings, self identity,

and help contain or manage overwhelming experiences, thinking patterns, and emotional states.

The use of poetry therapy also provides a safe symbolic language for self-expression and making

meaning. Using written reflection and response as a means for self-soothing and coping can also

be beneficial for trauma survivors. (n.d., starr.org) Considering all of this, Poetic Justice seeks

to use creative writing as a form of art therapy that will allow youth to articulate and process

through trauma through specific prompts and exercises as well as develop ownership in their

work through leadership roles that the projects Poetic Justice provides.

Introduction

Poetic Justice is the only arts-based organization that infuses trauma-informed creative

writing and has 50% youth ownership , which includes a youth chair that sits on the board of

directors and a young person 21 years old or younger who is a member of leadership of the

organization. The organization works directly in public schools to both help youth create writing
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programs and publishing opportunities in their school but to also as a guide and aid to teachers

who want to develop a stronger and more dynamic creative writing program. In 5 years, Poetic

Justice has worked with 30 high schools and have partnered with 2,000 high school students who

have collectively published 15 poetry books, 5 comic books, 100 Zines and 20 books of creative

non-fiction essays. In addition, we have employed two youth workers in each school to work

with teachers to develop a sustainable and dynamic creative writing program within their

curriculum.

In addition to creative writing projects and publishing opportunities, high school students

mentor middle school youth and run a summer creative writing program that is focused on

summer reading loss. Students also organize large scale community events to publicize and sell

their books.

Needs/Problems

According to the Skillman Foundation State of Detroit Child report there are 50,000 children

from the ages 13-18 in Detroit. Of that number 81.9% are African-American and upwards to

60% of these children receive Food Assistance. Because of this data, we can assume an alarming

number of children have been impacted by the trauma of poverty. The Family-Informed Trauma

Center conducted research on urban poverty and found that children families living in urban

poverty are at high-risk for , developing trauma-related symptoms or becoming a trauma-

organized family system, generally include prior individual or family psychiatric history, history

of other previous traumas or adverse childhood experiences, pile up of life stressors,

severity/chronicity of traumatic experiences, conflictual or violent family interactions, and lack

of social support(n.d., Family-Informed Treatment Trauma Center)

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Procedures/Scope of Work

The main service that Poetic Justice will serve is to provide creative writing curriculum that is

infused with trauma-informed and social justice practices for high school students. We do this

by through artist-in-residence programming in public high schools. These artists are often book

artists, rappers, poets or simply passionate about our work. They work with interested students to

set up a creative writing club and implement our curriculum in those spaces. As mentioned

before they work with teachers and other administrative staff to incorporate creative writing

and/or trauma-informed curriculum into the classroom.

Once a creative writing club is established, the artist will teach two semester-long

creative writing workshops. The curriculum will focus on different genres within writing and

will host guest artists as well as have opportunities for participants to go on field trips. Each club

will include leadership roles for the students to be involved in including:

President

Vice-President

Treasurer

Secretary

Editor-in-Chief

Blog Editor

Event Planner

Marketing Director

Social Media Director

Copy Editor
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Arts Editor

Outreach Director

This may seem like a lot of positions but the goal of the workshop will be to turn it over

to the youth and have the teaching artist become a facilitator and mentor to the group. Once the

leadership is established, the club will have a goal of publishing two books a school year and will

host two events to celebrate and sell their books. They will also plan summer outreach focused

on literacy at a local middle school.

In addition, teaching artists will hold professional development seminars for teachers and

school administration to provide curriculum support on the areas of creative writing, art making

and infusing trauma-informed practices into their curriculum in order to create a stronger

curriculum that can have positive impact on how students and teachers interact with one another.

Poetic Justice will have several products that it can sell which includes books written by students

in the classroom ( 50% will go to Poetic Justice, 25% will go to creative writing club funds and

25% will go to the school budget allocated for updated textbooks, reading materials and art

supplies), curriculum manuals that can be sold all over the world and professional development

seminars that are conducted for organizations interested in learning from Poetic Justice.

Though Detroit has a growing literary arts culture, Poetic Justice is the only organization

that is youth-led and trauma-informed. Not only does it empower youth to develop their own

voice but it equips them with leadership development and opportunities to work in their

community as change makers. Poetic Justice places teaching artists in Detroit public schools to

act as facilitators and mentors of creative writing clubs that will ultimately be run and managed

by students. Additionally the teaching artists will professional development trainings for teachers

and school administration to help them integrate trauma-informend learning into their curriculum
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and work toward a system that is less systemic and more sustainable and successful for students

and teachers.

In order to generate an income, students involved with Poetic Justice will produce and sell two

books a year. Poetic Justice currently generates 50 books yearly by various active creative

writing clubs. Poetic Justice will use its network in the greater Detroit area as well as creative

writing initiatives nationally and like-minded individuals to continue to capitalize on what they

are doing.

For more information, see attached image of the Theory of Change

Goals/Objectives

On top of the above goals and objectives described under the scope of work, Poetic Justice seeks

to have the following philosophies incorporated into the organizational culture:

Mission

Creating youth-designed and youth-owned creative writing, arts and social justice infused

curriculum to empower young people in the engagement of community organizing and creative

expression.

Vision

Poetic Justice envisions that all youth will be reconciled to self, family, community and

world so that they may thrive, create and bring their voices to actualization.

Timetable

(See excel document for GANTT worksheet)

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August 2017-December 2017 Assemble staff

Staff create relationships with local

high schools

Write Curriculum

Apply for co-working space at Green

Garage

January 2018-June 2018 Establish residency locations in high

schools for 2018-2019 school year.

Continue Writing Curriculum

Continue building relationships by

hosting professional development

workshops for school admin.

June 2018-August 2018 Recruit and Train Teaching Artists

Sept. 2018-Decc 2018 Teaching Artists develop creative

writing clubs in schools.

Teaching Artists assist youth to set up

leadership teams in schools.

Staff & Teaching artists co-lead

professional development for school

admin
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January 2019-June 2019 Creative Writing Clubs publish

their first book

Creative Writing Clubs begin

planning summer reading and

writing program at local midle

schools.

Staff & Teaching Artists

continue teaching Professional

Development

June 2019-August 2019 Creative Writing Clubs conduct 7

week summer programing at local

middle schools.

Creative Writing Clubs, Teaching

Artists & Staff go on retreat to plan

the following school year & to reflect

on the one that just ended. (August 22-

28)

Teaching Artists go on retreat to

practice self-care (August 29-Sep 2)

Sept. 2019-December 2019 Creative Writing Clubs assume

leadership while Teaching Artists

assist and facilitate

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Creative Writing Clubs recruit for

additional members

Teaching Artists & Staff continue

Professional Development

Budget

Final Statements( Cash Flow and Revenue Projects)

Total Operating Budget- $227,500

Ongoing Grants

City of Detroit Public Arts Grant- $25,000

Kresge Arts Grant- $15,000

Michigan Council for Arts and Culture, New Leaders & Retention Grant-$4,000

Potential Revenue Streams

Book Sales- $2,500/yearly

Curriculum Sales- $2,500/yearly

Professional Development Seminars-$5,000/yearly

Consulting Fees- $2,000/yearly

Poetry & Pints- $1,500/yearly

Creative Writing Clubs Needs

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Description Estimated Quantity Estimated Actual Notes

Costs/ Unit

Notebooks $2.50 1,000 $2,500 $2,500 Local Bookstore

Haul

Pens & $1.00 100 of each $2,500 $2,500 Local Bookstore

Pencils per Haul

classroom

Computer $25/hour 25 $10,000 0 In-Kind Donation

Lab by School or local

library/community

center

Classroom 0 In-Kind Donation

Space by School or local

library/community

center

Curriculum $5,000 1 $5,000 $5,000 Various prompts,

activity fees and

field trips. New

Leaders Grant

Book $3,000 50 $3,000 $1,500 Received In-Kind

Publishing Donation from

Fee local publishing

house.
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Celebratory $300/per 50 $1500 $100 In-Kind Donation

Publishing year/per from Detroit

Events club Public Schools

Total $13,000

Staff & Organizational Costs

Description Estimated Cost Quantity Estimated Actual Notes

Lead $40,000 1 $40,000 $40,000

Teaching

Artist &

Program

Director

Director of $40,000 1 $40,000 $40,000

Development

Chief $40,000 1 $40,000 $40,000

Financial

Officer

Outreach $40,000 1 $40,000 $40,000 Because this

Director position is

intended for

someone

under the age

of 21,their
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payrate could

depend on

their age

Teaching $10,000 25 $25,000 $25,000 Teaching

Artist Artists sign

yearly

"teaching

artist in

residency"

contract and

are paid

monthly.

Building $1,500/monthly 12 $18,00 $18,000

Rental/Co-

Work Space

Rental

Travel $500/year for 4 $2,000 $2,000

Expenses each FT staff

Professional $350/yearly for 27 $9,450 $9,450

Development all staff

for Staff

Fundraising $500 1 $500 $250 In-Kind

Event Donation
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Total $214,500

Key Personnel

Because Poetic Justice is interested in turning trauma into triumph and seek to raise up

students who are passionate about creative writing and change making in their community, we

are very focused on hiring folks from the community. We are also committed to having someone

on leadership staff who is 21 or under and is from Detroit. The organization is extremely focused

on this because we want to practice retention for Detroiters as well as stay accountable as a

youth-focused and youth-run organization.

Katelyn Durst is the Founder, Lead Teaching Artist and Director of Poetic Justice. She

has worked in community development in cities all over the US and has worked in Detroit for

two years. In addition she is a poet in her own right and has taught diverse youth audiences for

over six years. She holds a BS in Creative Writing and is an Urban Studies and Community Arts

Master's Candidate at Eastern University. As Lead Teaching Artist, she employs and teaches

resident artists who will be placed in public high schools and co-facilitates professional

development seminars in schools, in the community and across the world. As Director of Poetic

Justice, she manages and directs all programs and collaboratively visions with the Board of

Directors and Poetic Justice staff for the future of the organization.

Devon Dodgson is the Director of Development. She manages development, fundraising

and communications offices and initiatives. Devon graduated from Wayne State University and

holds a master's in communications and is a registered music therapist.

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Kristen Rix is the Chief Financial Officer. She manages the budget and facilitates with

creative writing clubs to maintain organization in their funds. She graduated from University of

Detroit-Mercy with an MFA in Public Arts and is a sculptor and theatre artist.

Isaac Rodriguez is the Outreach Director. He is 20 years old and is from Southwest

Detroit. He works with the Youth Chair as well as Youth Steering Committee to maintain a

youth presence within leadership decisions and helps communicate needs of creative writing

clubs with management. He currently is studying Psychology at Wayne State University and has

won the Motown Slam Competition two years in a row.

Evaluation

Qualitative and quantative measures will be taken to ensure that Poetic Justice meets its

goals. This organization is one with many projects and assumptions. Students, school

administrative staff and involved community members will participate in pre & post surveys that

will be largely based on perception of self, school and the community. The evaluation will be

PAR informed and will seek to improve behavior and attitudes on all sides. For example if young

people feel defeated or apathetic in the beginning of the creative writing clubs but feel a strong

sense of ownership and pride by the end of the school year then that is something we would hope

the research could track. In addition, creative writing clubs will turn in monthly check-in surveys

to track their involvement, growth and goals. We would also like to oncorpoate surveys for our

professional development workshops in order to track school admins behavior toward students.

Endorsements

Support for this organization comes from:

Poetic Justice
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BuildaBridge International

Detroit Public Schools

Kresge Foundation

City of Detroit

Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs

Appendix

PAR Survey examples

Youth Survey
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Draw picture of your community

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Draw a picture of how you feel you influence this community

Do you feel proud to be from Rainier Beach?Why/why not?

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Does race effect your perception of self? How?

Does religion, gender and/or sexual orientation effect your perception of self? How?
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How do you feel others treat you because of your race, religion, gender and/or sexual

orientation?

How do you want to change this perception? Do you feel that you can?
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Community Survey/School Admin Survey

Draw a picture of community

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What is your perception of youth in your community?

What do you think of our schools, community/youth centers & programming and public parks?
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What are the problems for youth of Rainier Beach? Do these problems correlate to larger

problems in our society and world?

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Do you know youth victimized by profiling due to race, religion, sexual orientation and/or

gender?

References

F. (n.d.). Family-Informed Trauma Treatment Center. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from

http://fittcenter.umaryland.edu/

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2017, from https://starr.org/

Skillman Foundation, Data Drive Detroit. (n.d.). State of Detroit Child: 2012 Report (pp. 1-

33).