poetry programs—lllllll—for youth

High school — María Fernanda co-launched a free writing, performance and civic engagement multi-year program, which led to young people learning about the process of commissioning their own youth work. In 2024, she launched youth touring program for DC’s Parkmont Poetry Festival for the 20 high school winners of the annual contest. She secured program-generating collaborations with local middle schools and youth-serving organizations.

Middle school — She managed a two-week literary camp encompassing field trip visits, guest speaker talks, workshops, celebrations and other activities. She launched a youth touring program for DC’s Parkmont Poetry Festival for the 20 middle school winners of the annual contest. She secured program-generating collaborations with DCPL and more.

Primary and Secondary school — She managed a free three-year dance activism program on-site, based in New York City. In 2024, she organized a poetry garden event geared toward new mothers and young children.

• Parkmont Poetry Festival 2025

• Brave New Voices 2024

• Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, New York City Writing

• Creative and Independent Producer Alliance (CIPA)’s Emerging Producer Fellowship

• Black Artists and Designers Association at ASU

• DC Youth Slam Grand Slam Finals

• E. L. Haynes Public Charter’s High School Writing Panels

• DC SCORES

• ASU Boss Up

• Politics & Prose’s Pier Reads for Young Writers (series accidentally named by María Fernanda, however was selected and approved by several youth poets including the DC Youth Poet Laureate)

unique partnerships

Considering unique partnerships, María Fernanda engaged and collaborated with NYCHA community centers and New York City Public Schools (primary, elementary, and high schools) to offer on-site programming in multi-purpose spaces, classrooms, auditoriums, gyms, dance studios, and more. Partners have included,

Academy for Young Writers│Performing Arts and Technology School │Urban Assembly School for Collaborative Healthcare │ El Puente at Independence Towers│Benjamin Banneker Academy │Hudson Guild Community Center│Southern Queens Park Association Cornerstone│South Jamaica Development (NYCHA) │Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement – Ravenswood │August Martin High School (Beacon) │Brooklyn Frontiers High School │El Puente at Independence Towers│Fort Greene Young Minds COMPASS Program│Frederick Douglass Academy III│George Westinghouse Jr. High School of Career and Technical Education│Landmark High School│Ocean Bay Cornerstone (Beacon) Community Center│PS 007 Samuel Stern│PS30 Hernandez Hughes│Teachers Preparatory High School│SONYC Union Settlement School of the Arts, Collaboration, and Technology│The Ralph Bunche School PS 125 via Boys & Girls Club of Harlem │West Brighton Cornerstone Community Center│Ingersoll Community Center│and more

Parkmont Poetry Festival

annual

The Parkmont Poetry Festival (est. 1982) encourages and celebrates the voices and verse of student poets from public, private, and charter schools from all eight wards of the District of Columbia. Students from public, private, and charter schools attending grades 6-12 in the District of Columbia are invited to submit up to two original poems to the Festival. Three judges, who are locally and nationally respected poets, select semi-finalists, and then, the winners: 20 middle school poets and 20 high school poets. The winning poems are published in a booklet and the winning poets present their poems aloud at The Parkmont Poetry Festival. Learn more at parkmontpoetry.org.

DC Public Library at Mount Pleasant

seasonal

Mt. Pleasant Library, a beautiful, historic Carnegie building dedicated in 1925 and renovated in 2012, offers programs, services, and collections to the vibrant and diverse Ward 1 community. The Mt. Pleasant Library is CLOSED from Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 - Monday, June 23, 2025 for much-needed repairs and improvements. Scroll down to learn more about the closure and interim services.

Well-Read Black Girl

summer camp

Well Read Black Girl is an online community of over 435K+ members. WRBG has evolved into a movement and literary arts organization. Its mission is to provoke conversations around publishing, politics, and pop culture, and to amplify new work by African-American artists, from authors to activists to playwrights to policymakers. Using literature and storytelling as a tool for advocacy; specifically, in the areas of mental health and gender equity, Glory works nationally to shift the narratives of Black girls and women in society.

Program Components conceived and developed by María Fernanda for PPF

Readings

The Parkmont School is newly offering on-site poetry readings by the winners of the Parkmont Poetry Festival to showcase to your middle and upper school students the range of poems that are submitted to the Festival from across the city. Readings can take place at student clubs, libraries, openings to halftime shows at step team competitions and sports games, and more. We partner with school’s administrations, staff, faculty, and parent teacher associations to arrange.

Workshops

Parkmont School provides free writing workshops taught by locally and nationally respected poets for 6th to 12th grade level students and participants to encourage students to create new literary work. Participants in the workshops are not obligated to submit to the Festival. We partner with school’s administrations, staff, faculty, and parent teacher associations to arrange.

Information Sessions

The Readings and Workshops are accompanied by an open discussion to provide further detail about the festival and to support any questions students may have prior to submitting their poems in time for the February submission deadline. We partner with school’s administrations, staff, faculty, and parent teacher associations to arrange.

Break a Vase: Writing the Zuihitsu conceived and developed by María Fernanda

Explore and write the Zuihitsu—a classic Japanese genre defined by a fragmented series of single-line essays—with award-winning poet María Fernanda (she/her/hers). Participants will delve into generative writing activities, where they will be encouraged to browse excerpts of flyers, magazine spreads, artist interviews, and more. 20 slots are available. Registration is encouraged, but not required. Spanish instruction is available on 4/17, 5/1, & 5/8.

Rompe un Jarrón: Escribiendo el Zuihitsu

Explora y escribe el Zuihitsu—un género japonés clásico definido por una serie fragmentada de ensayos de una sola línea—con la poeta premiada María Fernanda (ella/la/suya). Los participantes se embarcarán en actividades de escritura generativa, donde se les animará a buscar extractos de folletos, revistas, entrevistas con artistas y más. Hay 20 espacios disponibles. Se recomienda registrarse, pero no es obligatorio. Instrucción en Español disponible los días 4/17, 5/1, & 5/8.

So You! workshop conceived and developed by María Fernanda for Camp Joy

Middle school participants listen to poetry performances by artists like Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D. and create their own anthems to support their sense of individuality and creative agency.

Camp Joy

Co-launched with WRBG founder Glory Edim, María Fernanda served as a Program Leader for Camp Joy’s inaugural year, which focuse on empowering Black and Brown children from under-resourced communities; providing them with exciting opportunities to create their own book clubs, explore the outdoors, explore STEM activities, and make lasting childhood memories. Our initial campers were be rising 5th through 8th graders residing in the Washington D.C. region.