One of the best ways to help people understand poetry is to encourage them to write their own. For this reason, you should hold regular poetry workshops at your poetry literacy center. Encourage both novice and experienced poets to bring their work, and establish an environment where only positive comments and constructive suggestions are allowed. Begin poetry workshops by reading a published poet's work out loud, then discussing its content, form and style. Next, have students work on poems in progress or create new works in small groups while the workshop leader confers with them and answers questions. Finally, have all readers who wish to, share and discuss their work.
Students who are resistant to poetry might have the idea that poetry is an old and stale writing form because they have only read the classics. Teach students that poetry can be visual by introducing a variety of forms -- 3-D poetry, written poetry that relies heavily on visual elements, and poetry that uses multimedia. Have a visual poetry gallery in your literacy center or devote a specific day to visual poetry. Have available a handout or presentation on how students can create their own visual poetry or how students can experiment with different media to create poetry.
Many poets have used poetry as a vehicle for social change, but students may be unaware of the connection that poetry has on revolutions and how poets who have advocated for change have put that advocacy into verse. Poetry literacy centers can address the connection between poetry and social change to help students see its significance and learn about social movements for history. Poetry literacy centers can create a poetry and social change exhibit where poems are placed next to photos of the social movements of which they were a part. A poetry literacy center might also have a corner where students can read different poems and descriptions of the social movements of which they were a part, then write their own poems using a collection of prompts or tips sheets. Finally, a poetry literacy center can adopt certain causes and hold write-a-thons, where students come to write poetry to inspire change and mail that poetry to those who could change the situation, like senators, governors or board presidents.
A staple of any poetry literacy center must be the poetry reading, but many students are afraid to read their poems in public because it requires sharing personal words or standing up in front of a large crowd. To improve the turnout at poetry readings, ensure a relaxed atmosphere with snacks, comfortable chairs and lots of applause/positive remarks at the end of each poem.