Poetry In Voice provides Canadian teachers across the country with the opportunity to bring poetry to life. Thanks to the Canada Council of the Arts, teachers can invite a poet to their class at no cost to the school. What better way to spark a love of poetry to last a lifetime than a visit from a poet?
How does the Poet In Class program work?
- A teacher logs in to our website (or creates an account and then logs in), searches our network of poets, and submits a visit request.
- Poetry In Voice manages all requests and schedules visits based on proximity and poet availability.
- Prior to a visit, the poet and teacher(s) unpack their expectations and establish logistics.
- After each visit, the teacher(s) and poet complete a brief questionnaire.
What you need to know before submitting a request
- Visit requests are considered on a first come, first served basis. We recommend that you submit your request in the Fall.
- Poet visits take place between September and March of a given school year.
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Each school is eligible for only one free poet visit during that period. Only one request per school will be considered.
- If your colleagues would like a poet to visit their classes as well, please coordinate with them before submitting your request.
- All teachers who will host the poet in their classroom must create an account with us (if they have not already done so).
- A poet's school visit can last up to 3 consecutive hours. If both the teacher and the poet agree to extend the poet's visit or book a follow-up visit on another day, any extra time must be paid for by the school.
- Be sure you're clear on your school's and/or school board's policies and procedures for authorizing a visit by a guest speaker (e.g. screening procedures, paperwork, etc.). It's your responsibility to communicate any requirements to the poet during the negotiation of a booking, and the poet must agree to the terms before your booking can be confirmed.
Meet the Poets In Class