And Project Soar Presents

FOR IMMEDIATE Release

April 9th, 2007

BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS

AND PROJECT SOAR PRESENTS:

“CITYWIDE POETRY WRITING CONTEST”

Sixteen Oakland Middle Schools Onboard & Committed!

Oakland’s eighth grade students are given an opportunity to shine their light in the Oakland community and a chance to win college scholarships and become a published poet!

[Oakland, CA—Project SOAR (Cal State East Bay) and Barnes & Noble Booksellers located in Jack London Square partner to promote literacy and positive change for Oakland’s youth. It was Ron Dellums’s recent statement, “together we can do great things” that was the inspiration behind this partnership].

There is a Poetry/Spoken-Word movement happening amongst our youth today and poetry is an important factor in today’s society because it helps us to understand humanity. It also allows students to express themselves and we believe that today’s youth has a great deal to say and to teach our community!

So Barnes & Noble Booksellers has partnered with Project SOAR to spearhead this movement in middle schools across the city. Project SOAR provides educational support services year round to help prepare a cohort of over 3,000 students in the Oakland Unified School District for college in 2011. Project SOAR provides counseling, tutoring, college tours, and a host of other services targeting at-risk youth and families. Project SOAR and Barnes & Noble is using this movement as an opportunity to:

• Enhance self-esteem in young students
• Inspire young people that they have social voice

• Help young students to write quality literature.

Most inner city youth are unaware that they may have been traumatized by the current state of affairs around them. Since poetry is often introspective, and young people are rarely introspective, this collaboration contest is a form of self-therapy, to enhance self-esteem, in addition to giving young people a social voice, and inspiring them to write quality literature.

Teacher workshop: Barnes & Noble and Project SOAR have already laid the groundwork last month for the contest by hosting an all day, “Teacher Training Poetry Writing Workshop” facilitated by English Professor, Frank Jones, PhD., Allison Miller and Rhonda White-Warner, M.Div. There was also a live performance by the Hairdoo’s, a local Afro-Hop group, Shaka Jamal Redmond and Adimu Madyun. At the end of the day, the teachers and tutors were able to take what they’ve learned back to their classrooms.

Poetry Slam: After the students were inspired by their teachers and tutors and learned how to express themselves through poetry, the students will be invited to Barnes & Noble/Jack London Square and given the opportunity to recite their poetry before their community, peers, and a panel of well-known author/poet judges. The top 5 winners will receive a college scholarship, which will be established by bookfair fundraising events held by Project SOAR at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Jack London Square.

An anthology gets published: The best is yet to come! iUniverse Publishing Co. in collaboration with Barnes & Noble is thrilled to announce that they will publish an anthology of the students’ poetry. After the anthology gets published, Barnes & Noble will host several booksigning events for Oakland’s new published young authors! These booksignings are also bookfair/fundraisers, which will help raise literacy and funds to further the education of Oakland Students.

Who:

Special guests judges include: Author/Poet, and the son of Maya Angelou, Guy Johnson, Frank Jones, PhD., Allison Miller, Rhonda White-Warner, M. Div. and Lily Divito. There will also be a special performance by the Hairdoo Rap/performers: Shaka Jamal and Adimu Madyun.

Where:

Barnes & Noble Jack London Square. 98 Broadway, Oakland CA 94607

When:

Poetry Slam Contest – Saturday, May 19th from 11am – 4pm

Why:

To inspire greatness and brilliance in the hearts and minds of Oakland’s youth. To address literacy and promote positive changes within the students lives and their community, and to raise awareness and funds for higher education and leadership skills.

In the words of Mary Mcleod Bethune, “We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.”