LAKE COUNTY – Youth Writes, a program that encourages young people to write and perform their own original poetry, is seeking a liaison to help grow the program.

Lorna Sue Sides has been the primary force behind Youth Writes, the vision of which is to encourage and facilitate Lake County students, age 8-18, to write and share their writings with others by providing instruction and forums.

In both April 2007 and April 2008, Youth Writes provided venues in several locations in Lake County for students to perform their original poetry. In May 2007 and May 2008 Youth Writes participants performed their original poetry to audiences during the Art and Nature Show at Rodman Slough Preserve.

The shows delighted the audiences and provided opportunities for students from different areas of Lake County to network with each other, to share their poetry, and to perform in front of an audience.

Sides currently is working with Shelby Posada of the Lake County Arts Council to discuss ways that the organizations can assist each other.

So far, Sides has done most of the work on each of these projects. However, she said in order to reach all of the county's students who would be interested in participating in these events.

So Sides is reaching out to others in Lake County to assist her in fulfilling the Youth Writes vision.

In particular, she is looking for a liaison to encourage student participation through the schools and the county library system. The liaison also will arrange monthly writing and performance workshops, and warm-up venues each April; facilitate student involvement in Youth Writes Poetry Showcase and the Youth Writes Web site; be accessible to students; post fliers and distribute materials; and maintain communications with Youth Writes by phone, email and by attending organizational meetings when possible.

She also is proposing to hold a series of Youth Writes organizational meetings, which will discuss the program's goals for 2008-09. Those include:

• Recruiting a Youth Writes liaison.

• 2009 Poetry Showcase with warm-up venues throughout Lake County.

• Develop Youth Writes Writing Workshops throughout Lake County.

• Develop a Youth Writes Web site for student to post their writing, to network, and to learn of local performance and instructional opportunities.

• Quarterly Youth Edition of Creative Expressions

If you are interested in attending the organizational meetings, or have suggestions for dates, times and places for these meetings, call Sides at 274-9254 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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