Welcome to Woodland Pattern's Submittable site! This is where registered participants can submit their videos for our 30th Annual Poetry Marathon. 

We are also accepting applications for the Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate Program and Instructor applications for our Youth Literary Arts Program. Please read on for more information.

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POETRY MARATHON

Our 2024 Poetry Marathon will take place virtually on Crowdcast on Saturday, January 27, and Sunday, January 28, and feature performances from 240 poets over the course of two days and 24 hours. To learn more about the Poetry Marathon or to sign up as a reader, please visit our website or call us at 414-263-5001.

If you have already registered to read in the Marathon, you can submit your materials below. You will be prompted to upload your video as well as a text document of your poems to be used for closed captioning. Important: Please be sure to register with us as a reader before submitting your materials.

As per Marathon guidelines, please also make sure that your video is no more than five minutes in length. If you need assistance uploading your file (or recording yourself), feel free to contact us at info@woodlandpattern.org or give us a call.

Need tips on how to record a good video? We have some for you here.

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MILWAUKEE YOUTH POET LAUREATE APPLICATIONS

Through March 24, 2024, Woodland Pattern is accepting submissions from Milwaukee County high school sophomores and juniors interested in becoming Milwaukee's next Youth Poet Laureate

More information about this opportunity and general information about the program is available here. You can also submit your materials below.

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CALL FOR TEACHING WRITERS & ARTISTS: YOUTH LITERARY ARTS PROGRAM

Woodland Pattern is seeking practicing writers and artists to serve as instructors in its Youth Literary Arts Program.  

Application Deadline: December 11, 2023 (to begin January 2024). Ideal candidates will have a combination of the following qualifications:

  • A genuine passion for poetry and the arts
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • The capacity and enthusiasm to support and inspire creativity in young people in grades 3 through 12. 
  • A dedicated writing, music, and/or art practice
  • Performance skills and/or experience
  • Experience working in multiple artistic disciplines
  • Skills, training, and/or experience teaching creative writing and/or adjacent arts 
  • Experience teaching or working with youth, particularly underserved youth, queer youth, and youth of color.
  • Ongoing commitment to strengthening teaching practice through feedback, professional development, and collaboration

Woodland Pattern is committed to diversity and inclusivity. Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply.

As stability for our students is deeply important to us, only applicants who can commit to a full semester will be considered. Candidates who can make longer commitments of twelve months or more are preferred.

Time commitment: Teaching writers and artists must be able to commit to teaching a minimum of two 90-minute sessions per week.

Duties and responsibilities:

  • Develop poetry and inter-arts workshops that honor students' voices, cultures, and experiences.
  • Teach and lead writing and arts activities that engage students creatively, while also reinforcing core reading, writing, communication skills and social-emotional learning.
  • Serve as a role model and mentor—supporting, uplifting, and inspiring students to express themselves through language, sound, and the visual arts.
  • Act as a representative of Woodland Pattern and a partner to each school site.
  • Assist with transcribing, curating, and preparing student work for publication.
  • Collaborate with the Education Director and school to facilitate a culminating event each semester.
  • Attend paid orientation and regular professional development trainings.

Compensation: $50 per hour of classroom instruction, and $25 per hour of administrative work (lesson-planning, professional development etc.). Poetry Camp instructors receive a flat sum of $1,000 per week.

How to apply: For consideration for next semester, please submit the following materials through the link below by December 8, 2023. 

  • Cover letter
  • Current resume outlining education, qualifications, and relevant experience
  • One sample lesson plan for the age group / program you most prefer to work with

Open Call for Teaching Writers and Artists

Woodland Pattern is seeking practicing writers and artists to serve as instructors in its Youth Literary Arts Program.  

Application Deadline: December 11, 2023 (to begin January 2024). Ideal candidates will have a combination of the following qualifications:

  • A genuine passion for poetry and the arts
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • The capacity and enthusiasm to support and inspire creativity in young people in grades 3 through 12. 
  • A dedicated writing, music, and/or art practice
  • Performance skills and/or experience
  • Experience working in multiple artistic disciplines
  • Skills, training, and/or experience teaching creative writing and/or adjacent arts 
  • Experience teaching or working with youth, particularly underserved youth, queer youth, and youth of color.
  • Ongoing commitment to strengthening teaching practice through feedback, professional development, and collaboration

Woodland Pattern is committed to diversity and inclusivity. Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply.

As stability for our students is deeply important to us, only applicants who can commit to a full semester will be considered. Candidates who can make longer commitments of twelve months or more are preferred.

Time commitment: Teaching writers and artists must be able to commit to teaching a minimum of two 90-minute sessions per week.

Duties and responsibilities:

  • Develop poetry and inter-arts workshops that honor students' voices, cultures, and experiences.
  • Teach and lead writing and arts activities that engage students creatively, while also reinforcing core reading, writing, communication skills and social-emotional learning.
  • Serve as a role model and mentor—supporting, uplifting, and inspiring students to express themselves through language, sound, and the visual arts.
  • Act as a representative of Woodland Pattern and a partner to each school site.
  • Assist with transcribing, curating, and preparing student work for publication.
  • Collaborate with the Education Director and school to facilitate a culminating event each semester.
  • Attend paid orientation and regular professional development trainings.

Compensation: $50 per hour of classroom instruction, and $25 per hour of administrative work (lesson-planning, professional development etc.). Poetry Camp instructors receive a flat sum of $1,000 per week.

How to apply: For consideration for next semester, please submit the following materials via our Submittable page by December 8, 2023. 

  • Cover letter
  • Current resume outlining education, qualifications, and relevant experience
  • One sample lesson plan for the age group / program you most prefer to work with
  • Contact information for two references

Please keep your video to no more than 5 minutes in length. Please be sure to also include the text for your poem(s) so that we can include closed captioning with your video.

Woodland Pattern and its partners are excited to announce the second annual Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate cycle and initiative!

Submissions for the Laureateship will open on December 1 and close on March 24. Finalists will be selected in April and receive performance coaching to help them prepare for a juried event in May at the Milwaukee Public Library's central branch.

Eligibility

Applicants must be Milwaukee County high school sophomores or juniors.

Application Process

  • Submit 5 poems + a CV outlining extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and/or academic honors by March 24, 2024.
  • Finalists will be selected in April to compete at a juried Poetry Reading in May.

The Milwaukee Youth Poet Laureate will receive:

  • A $500 book allowance
  • A paid summer internship with Woodland Pattern (including a Poetry Camp counselor position)
  • Ongoing mentorship and support from Woodland Pattern throughout the Laureateship
  • A full-ride scholarship to participate in UW-Madison's Pass the Mic Festival hosted by First Wave
  • Opportunities to perform around the city, compete in regional and national titles, lead writing workshops for fellow youth poets, and connect with local organizations to spotlight social causes
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