California Poets in the Schools

Since 1984, CalPoets has reached approximately 5,000 students in 25 Marin schools annually, helping students take advantage of its poetry programs, learn more about the craft of writing, and advance their command of the English language. CalPoets aims not only to teach literary skills but also to increase self-awareness, empower students to find their voice, and create bridges that foster empathy and understanding. This program reaches the most marginalized students, including Hispanic and immigrant populations from rural and low-income areas who highly benefit from an alternative, creative approach to the English language, offered by bilingual professional poet-teachers, giving them a safe harbor to express emotion, a feeling of acceptance, and a pathway that leads them to love writing.

In the spirit of #JoyActionPower, CalPoets closes out April with the CalPoets Marin Anthology 2026 Reading & Celebration, featuring readings by student poets and Youth Poet Laureates of Marin. The event takes place on Sunday, April 26, from 1-3 PM at Book Passage in Corte Madera, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd. It is a chance to hear directly from the young voices CalPoets has supported all year and to witness how poetry can shape community dialogue and expand what's possible in a student's life.