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On Wednesday, December 7, over 1,200 students from Madison Middle
School, Clark Moores Middle School, Foley Middle School, Estill County
Middle School, Rockcastle County Middle School and Berea Community
Elementary School traveled to Berea College to participate in Poetry
Alive!, an educational program from Asheville, NC that brings poetry
to life through performances acted out by traveling actors. The team
travels yearly across the United States , exposing thousands of children
to the wonderful world of poetry.
During the hour long presentation, a team of 2 performers "act out" several
well known poems like "Casey at the Bat" and "The Highwayman". Students
are also exposed to poetry that is age appropriate and easy to understand.
Focusing on such topics as life transitions like "The Eviction" and "Which
Lunch Table?" Fun poems like "In Just" by e.e. cummings and "The
Bells" by Edgar Allen Poe were also presented with students volunteering
to become a part of the performance.
Founded in 1984, Poetry Alive conducted its
first show in McDibb's music hall in Black Mountain , North Carolina
. In the 20 years since its conception, Poetry Alive! has performed
for over 7,000,000 children across all 50 states as well as the District
of Columbia , Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan , South Korea , China , and
Peru . Each year Poetry Alive! conducts approximately 2,200
performances, over 700 classroom follow-ups, and 100 teacher workshops
for an estimated 600,000 students nationwide.
Poetry Alive! was sponsored by the Berea College GEAR UP Partnership,
a federal grant program that endeavors to "provide GEAR UP students
with the educational foundation necessary to complete a rigorous
curriculum and to enroll in college."
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