Our Programs
DewMore provides the relationships, resources, and opportunities for youth to heal, grow, and advance their path to economic self-sufficiency and civically engaged lives through culturally sustaining education, healing-centered engagement, and workforce development.
Youth Poetry League Social Justice/Hip Hop Spoken Word After School Clubs
Establishes social justice/hip hop spoken word after school clubs in middle and high schools throughout Greater Baltimore. We expose young people to poetry as a way to process personal and social justice issues through critical analysis, accurate and dynamic communication as they discuss the impact that literature can have among them, their peers and their community.
Workshops & Residencies
Our award winning Teaching Artists can facilitate workshops during the school day as poetry workshops or collaborate with English and Social Studies instructors to integrate those subjects, spoken word and creative writing strategies into their curriculum.
Poetry As Mental Health (PAMH)
Gives youth an opportunity to use poetry and open discussion to hold space for mental health and unpack issues that affect youth. In partnership with the Black Mental Health Alliance, each session is facilitated by a young adult artist and a licensed mental health professional. PAMH centers on writing as a form of unity and self-actualization, and a means to candidly channel what the writer needs to say in a way that is most authentic and important to them.
Youth Grand Slam
DewMore hosts an annual slam poetry competition for youth between the ages of 13 and 19 years old who are competing to serve on the Baltimore City Youth Poetry Team for the year.
Baltimore City Youth Poetry Team (BCYPT)
The DewMore Baltimore Youth Poetry Team is a youth program that engages youth between the ages of 13-19 who live in or around Baltimore City who are passionate about writing, performing and advocating for change in their community. The team is led by published authors and award winning professional writers.
Maya Baraka Writers’ Institute
The Maya Barak Writers Institute (MBWI) is a summer writing program that hires 40 - 60 student writers to participate in a series of poetry workshops and cultural activities including local performances and visits to historical art sites. MBWI focuses on providing context to art as activism that is accessible and relevant for millennials by providing access to presentations by local nonprofit and for-profit leaders, writers, artists and activists, films/videos, informative reading material and creative writing workshops.
DewMore Youth Poetry Festival
Every spring, DewMore Baltimore hosts the DewMore Baltimore Youth Poetry Festival. Here, students are given the opportunity to meet like-minded youth of their age group who they would have normally never encountered. They attend workshops by some of the region's most recognized artists and organizers. The young people learn together, build relationships and have a great time, then engage in some healthy competition. This type of cross community building will help to decrease violence and bolster a sincere love for our city. Throughout the years,attendance has ranged from 250-500 participants and guests.
Youth Poet Laureate
In partnership with the Baltimore Mayor’s Office, DewMore hosts an annual poetry slam for youth ages 13-19 as an extension of the Poetry League after school program.
SaltPepperKetchup! (SPK): Youth Open Mic SaltPepperKetchup!
A free monthly youth-led open mic platform for artistic youth voice. SPK is an intentionally created artistic safe space where young Baltimore creatives can come together and bond through their art in new and exciting ways. A youth centric space created for youth by youth! They invite youth from all over the city to participate but also highlight subjects like women’s history, mental health and race to name a few.