It’s raining poetry in Reading! This month, we held our final #RainPoetryReading reveal celebration at Lauer`s Park Elementary School as part of the community’s 6th Ward Block Party. Children’s eyes sparkled as they sprinkled water over the invisible poems, making them appear like magic. We also debuted Colors of My City, a beautiful new book designed by Pennsylvania artist @illkyaacosta. It features haiku written by students at each of the Rain Poetry Reading sites: Lauer’s Park Elementary, St. Peter’s School, and @readingpublib.
And the celebration continues! On Tuesday, September 30 at 10:00 AM, PA Humanities will host a special Rain Poetry Reveal in front of the State Library of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. This event will feature newly installed poems from youth in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Johnstown, and Reading, with live readings and a magical reveal of their words. At this gathering we’ll also launch our Rain Poetry Toolkit, a step-by-step guide to creating a Rain Poetry program in your hometown. Join us as we honor Pennsylvania’s young poets and shine a light on the power of the humanities to inspire creativity, strengthen community, and transform public spaces into opportunities for connection.
The #RainPoetry project in Reading is made possible with the generous support of the Wyomissing Foundation, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, under the administration of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Photos by Susan Angstadt.
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