| DESCRIPTION | CURRENT WORKSHOPS | UPCOMING WORKSHOPS | PARTNERS | PRESENTATIONS | TRAINING |
Please contact Stephen Marshall, Community Liaison, for details :: stephen@artfromashes.org or 303.837.1550 
CURRENT WORKSHOPS
The Spot Urban Youth Center
Denver Public Library
Douglas County Student Support Center
Boulder Valley School District :: Justice High School
Rainbow Alley at The Center
THE SPOT URBAN YOUTH DROP-IN CENTER
Art from Ashes is now in its eighth year of partnership with Urban Peak to provide the Phoenix Rising poetry workshops at The Spot [map]. Workshops run every Tuesday night from 6 to 8 pm. Six of those years were funded by a grant from Colorado Council on the Arts YouthReach grant, which runs out at the end of June. To support this program beyond June, please DONATE and mention this program specifically! To send an email thank you to Colorado Council on the Arts for funding this program over the years, CLICK HERE.
For upcoming performances featuring the youth at The Spot, check out our EVENTS page or sign up for our newsletter (on the lower left side of this page) to stay apprised of youth events and presentations.
Click below to view our 4-minute video featuring the youth at The Spot.
Low Res (small file) :: High Res (large file)
Art from Ashes also provides bi-monthly writing classes (all ages) for those interested in all aspects of the power of words. Each month will feature a two-part workshop with guided exploration on relevant topics like poetry fundamentals, personal style, new writing approaches and autobiographical storytelling. The first night of the month will focus on techniques and methods for getting your words down on paper; the second will be centered on sharing what you've written and constructive discussion for honing your skills. Please link to the DPL Fresh City Life events calendar under WordShop for future dates and to sign up (classes fill within a few hours of posting, so sign up early!) Central Library, Level 1 Fresh City Lounge
DOUGLAS COUNTY STUDENT SUPPORT CENTER
Art from Ashes has provided workshops to the youth at DCSSC for two years. DCSSC is an expulsion/suspension school, which provides case management for youth at-risk of drop-out or expulsion; drop-out retrieval; and truancy prevention. To support this effort, please CLICK HERE and note how you would like your funding invested.
JUSTICE HIGH SCHOOL
The mascot of this wonderful school is the Phoenix, so it's a match that makes sense! The mission of Justice is to provide their 116 students (and growing) a year-round college preparatory education through a curriculum for at-risk youth who are disconnected from the traditional school system because of juvenile delinquency, drugs and alcohol, alienation, or other factors. That's where we come in, because our program is perfectly aligned with their goals, strengthening academic interest and achievement through increased self-respect and self-determination. This program was made possible by funding support from our TGYS grant and a Boulder SCFD grant. CLICK HERE to donate and help continue this program through the rest of the school year! Select the following links to send an email thank you note to the two grantors helping to fund this program: TGYS and SCFD.
RAINBOW ALLEY
"It gets better." That's what we keep saying to today's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) youth. But is it enough? We can take one step farther. We can all "show up" for GLBT youth by funding transformational programs to this often invisible population. With your help, our work with GLBT youth can encourage the internal resources necessary to becoming fully empowered, engaged, and productive members of our community.
The Show Up! Shout Out! project is a collaboration between Rainbow Alley, Art from Ashes, and the Colorado business community. It was started by Director of Operations Marie Verrett to provide visibility and voice to our community's GLBT youth through the Phoenix Rising transformational poetry and spoken word workshops. The project is dedicated to continuing the important work we've started at Rainbow Alley, serving GLBT youth and their allies. The Center is the only statewide, nonprofit community center dedicated to providing support and advocacy for Colorado's GLBT population.
The first phase of Show Up! Speak Out will begin this year with eight Phoenix Rising workshops designed to empower GLBT youth through creative expression and personal transformation.
"We are so thankful to offer Art from Ashes programming at Rainbow Alley. Not only are youth excited and invested in the program, but the skills and conversations from the group have transcended the workshops sessions, positively affecting our youth community."
—Moises Munoz, Rainbow Alley Program Manager
DONATE NOW TO SHOW UP! SHOUT OUT!
PARTNERS/COLLABORATORS
Art from Ashes facilitators are in partnership with or have collaborated with the following organizations to provide therapeutic poetry workshops for the youth in their care:
To make a donation that will support an 8-week session for up to 20 youth, please download sponsorship information.
If you are interested in volunteering or participating as a guest artist/poet, please contact us via email or by phone: 303.837.1550. CLICK HERE to view previous guests at the AfA youth workshops. Link to our page for ADULT WORKSHOP if you would like to join a therapeutic poetry writing workshop for those over the age of 24. Adult workshops support our programs for youth. PRESENTATIONSTRAINING
Art from Ashes provides local, national and international training courses for caregivers who work with youth. Please contact us via phone :: 303.837.1550 or email for details.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Media attention has been significant. The work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, the Boulder Daily Camera, Urban Spectrum, The Metropolitan, the Conifer Connection and the Colorado Springs Gazette. The program also has received a "Best of Westword" award for Best Use of Poetry (1999) and Best Therapeutic Poetry Organization (2007). Catherine O'Neill Thorn has written several articles on the positive effect transformational poetry has on youth that have been published in magazines and newspapers, both in print and online.
Over the next several years, AfA will focus on providing transformational poetry sessions in youth agencies throughout Colorado before introducing the program nationally. In addition to the Phoenix Rising poetry and spoken word program, the Drawing on Air visual arts program, and the Casting Shadows theater and play program, AfA will develop four additional creative programs to provide the opportunity for transformed perceptions and healthier lives for youth: music, dance/movement, massage therapy and somatic therapy.
