The 11th Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam: Grand Slam Finals

The 11th Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam is well underway, and Youth Speaks is asking all to come out and celebrate the young leaders of today. From stages across the Bay Area, poets ages 13-19 years old are bringing the noise from the margin to the core through the explosive power of Spoken Word. The Teen Poetry Slam is an annual event featuring hundreds of Bay Area voices who are unafraid to speak during this time of overwhelmingly loud silence.

Support the new generation of poets as they perform in a mock Olympic-style poetry competition. This year, the top-scoring poets not only represent the Bay at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival (July in San Jose), but also have the opportunity to get their own book published through First Word Press - and win a new iMac computer. The Grand Slam Finals on March 17, hosted by Def Poetry's Beau Sia, will feature 2006 Slam Champ George Watsky, the one-and-only DJ Funklor, and18 finalists. Tickets for this history-making event are available now at www.masonicauditorium.com or by calling 415.292.9191. It's only $6 for youth and $18 for general admission – with your help, the event will sell out, so get your tickets early.

Youth are about to share word. They're going to critique and provoke and challenge. There's going to be fire spewing out of the mouths of teens, and for good reason. There are inconvenient truths, coalitions of the willing, E Coli outbreaks, and of course, the Flavor of Love finale. These youth exist in an explosive world. From politics to pop culture, The Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam provides a platform for youth to discuss and add their often excluded voices to international discussion. Where else can you hear the adolescent opinion on the election of the minority whip? The slam is about so much more than competition; it's the biggest and best opportunity for youth to have meaningful dialogue with each other. It's where adults can shut up and be inspired by a new cadre of young thinkers.

-- Chinaka Hodge, Youth Speaks Associate Program Director and former Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Champion