Voca11, a program that empowers young students by building confidence and becoming agents of social change through reading, writing and communicating, launched this week with its first program, Power of Poetry.
Jennifer Christiansen, a seventh grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Chicago Public Schools, founded Voca11 to ignite the power within and give middle schoolers the tools they need to amplify their voices, activate their passion, and find their call to action.
Why Voca11 and Why Now
“Middle school students are curious, aware, and very observant,” says Christiansen. “Voca11’s mission is to empower kids – our future leaders – with the confidence to become agents of change. We want the connections they make here and the skills they hone to encourage them to become a valuable part of the solution. Their voices are powerful and now more than ever, they matter.”
Unlike their elementary or high school counterparts, kids aged 10-14 do not have as many options for learning and enrichment. Voca11 addresses that with week-long, live classes conducted via Zoom and dedicated to themes ranging from analyzing speeches of recent and past historical figures and activists to focusing on how satire and parody are used to shine a spotlight on social and political issues.
Power of Poetry is the first week-long class taking place August 17-21. “The timing of the first session is intended to jumpstart learning, brush up on skills, and get kids ready and excited for the school year ahead,” says Christiansen. Students will examine several poetic forms and determine how historical and contemporary poets use structure to convey the meaning behind their messages on race, justice, identity, acceptance, and humanity.
“When classes spark curiosity and dialog, it is incredibly rewarding,” says Christiansen. “Voca11 is more than a classroom, it is a movement. We’re giving kids a place to talk about things that matter to them and equipping them with the tools they need to find their voice and make it heard.”
Click here to explore current programming.
About the Founder
Jennifer Christiansen is a teacher and parent who is driven by a passion to build thoughtful, relevant programming that provides the leaders of tomorrow with the tools they need to find their voice and make it heard. She has spent the last two decades amplifying voices as a teacher and leader at one of the top 10 elementary schools in the state of Illinois, and has used her voice to start a non-profit, publish books and write curriculum for new schools, theaters, and museums.
Jennifer also earned a masters in curriculum and instruction. Jennifer is a proud parent of three boys (9, 11, 16) who alongside her students, continually challenge her to understand the diverse needs of each child and have taught her that every young person has a passion inside if we can help them find it.
About Voca11
Voca11 strives to empower middle school students with the confidence to become agents of change through reading, writing and speaking. Located in Chicago, Voca11 is open to kids virtually, throughout the US.