Welcome to the CHARM Newsroom!
WE’RE MOVING!
CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth moves to Unity Hall
Story and Photos By Ed Gunts
The anchor tenants are No Boundaries Coalition; Single Carrot Theatre; The Community Builders; Baltimore Music Box; CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth, and Building Our Nation’s Daughters (BOND).
Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine: “Youth Voices Against Racism”
Five young Baltimoreans share what they see—and what needs to change.
Edited by Jackie Powder • Photos by Chris Hartlove
“This hurt. In my eyes, I was a kid who was never a danger to anyone. To label me because of my melanin frustrated me. I thought, How could anyone think this way? I decided to turn my frustration into my poems “Complexion” and “TBIB 2020.” Eventually I realized that this is just how some people are raised, and I can use my poetry to educate them on their actions.”
The Atlantic: “Teaching Black Teens to Write the Books they Read”
The article profiles CHARM advisory board member and partner teacher, LaQuisha Hall and her focus on publishing students, as well as CHARM’s mission to amplify youth voices.
The article is a preview to a book that celebrates her teaching, Becoming a Teacher by Melinda D. Anderson
Being a published author myself … I wanted to give my students that same opportunity, because so many of them carry powerful stories,” she told me. “In the education world, we always talk about giving students a voice. What does that actually look like?” —LaQuisha Hall
School Reopening: Grassroots Leadership Weighs In
Leaders of youth-focused nonprofits, including CHARM’s Whitney Birenbaum, share their perspectives on school reopening with Irene Bantigue of Impact Hub Baltimore
“She shares that whether students are at school or at home, CHARM seeks to enrich students’ lives by helping them develop as writers and amplify their voices...They are currently piloting CHARM in a Box: A Creativity Kit Made By CHARM that students can have sent to their homes.”
Four CHARM Editors Reflect on the Start of the Virtual School Year
Four CHARM Editors—Me’Shiah, Shubhan, Tehle, and Annabel—reflect on the complex emotions they’re feeling regarding the start of the virtual school year.
CHARM Editor Chats with TFA Alumni
Student editor and poet, Amaya Burke, gave the closing message to Teach for America’s newest alumni across the nation on June 23.
Amaya was honored to share the mic with activists DeRay McKesson and Cleo Wade. Amaya’s poem, “Knees on our Necks” is part of our collection “Poems for Black Lives Matter.”
Charm City Dreamers Podcast
CHARM’s Executive Director, Whitney Birenbaum, talks with Zack Garber at Charm City Dreamers about Baltimore writers, our city of bookstores, and the importance of amplifying youth voices.
Catching Up with Mr. K
An Interview in CHARM’s e-newsletter with this year’s Baltimore City Teacher of the Year
Mr. K caught up with CHARM about his summer, his favorite books, and how teachers can best make use of the "10,000-hour rule."
WJZ CBS BALTIMORE
‘They’re Part Of My Family’ | Baltimore City Teacher Of The Year Encourages Students To Express Themselves Through Authorship”
In June 2019, WJZ CBS Baltimore featured City Schools Teacher of the Year, Kyair Butts, and the book his 6th graders at Waverly Elementary Middle published with CHARM’s pilot Class Book Project.
Humanities Connection
In May 2019, Whitney Birenbaum, CHARM’s Executive Director, spoke about the organization on the “Humanities Connection” podcast. Ninth grader Marian Tibrey — a CHARM participant — shares her original poem, “We, Too, Sing America,” inspired by Langston Hughes’s “I, Too.”