JASON TAYLOR FOUNDATION INC

BLUAPPLE POETRY NETWORK & LOUDER THAN A BOMB The Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network, is a multi-faceted, after-school spoken word poetry program available free to students actively attending public schools throughout South Florida and beyond. The program provides an environment for students to focus on literacy, prevention issues and social awareness as vehicles for self expression, both written and through performance, ultimately empowering young people, the schools they attend and the communities in which they live. In addition, by recognizing each poetry group as a member of the school districts overall network, rather than simply as an individual program, a greater sense of community is developed with ideas, creativity and understanding being shared across district boundaries. During the 2022-23 school year, nearly 50 schools actively participated in the Network. LOUDER THAN A BOMB FLORIDA Building upon the impact the Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network has had on area youth, the Jason Taylor Foundation took bluapple to new heights by bringing the Super Bowl of Poetry to Broward County. In April, 2023, the Foundation held the sixth annual Louder Than a Bomb Florida (LTAB Florida) festival, empowering and uniting South Floridas youth and community through the art of the spoken word. LTAB Florida featured school-based poetry teams from within the bluapple Poetry Network, as well as from Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and beyond, showcasing this art form through a friendly competition, while providing teens from diverse backgrounds a platform to come together virtually and find a common ground through sharing their stories. In October, 2023, planning, preparation, recruitment, workshops and professional development for the sixth annual LTABFLA took place. This powerful, youth initiative accomplished the following: Utilized the poetry slam as a community organizing tool, unifying our wonderfully diverse, extremely spread out South Florida population - LTABFLA bridges gaps between community borders and introduces teens who would not otherwise meet. The festival brought together students, educators, business leaders and others from the tri-county area and beyond. Made the student the center of their educational experience - LTABFLA inverts the traditional educational paradigm by asking students what THEY think, see and experience in their worlds, often re-engaging students at schools, while still meeting educational standards. Empowered young people with tools necessary for success - LTABFLA provides students with a platform for their voices to be heard. These students realize the strength they possess and are validated through the stories they tell and experiences they share.