Young Poets

The Young Poets Program, a program of the Center for Creative Writing at Montana State University Billings, encourages students to express themselves through poetry. The program integrates weekly lessons for students in grades 3 - 12 to support school curriculum, including writing, comprehension, reading proficiency, and public speaking skills while furthering trust and empathy within the classroom. The 12-week program culminates with a celebration of student work and is sustained by professional poets and passionate volunteers. The Young Poets Program focuses primarily on high-needs and Title I schools in Billings, with occasional residencies in surrounding areas. Workshops in elementary classrooms engage students in creative brainstorming, analysis, and problem solving, while creative writing fosters a sense of agency in these students who begin to see themselves as writers. Through the 12-week residencies, students develop a generous appreciation for the work of their peers and develop an ability to articulate their work aloud to others. Poet Tami Haaland founded the program in 2012 at McKinley Elementary School and gradually expanded its reach with support of local writers. In 2018, more than 800 students in local elementary and high schools received creative writing instruction from the Young Poets Program.