The National African American Read-In (AARI) is a groundbreaking effort to encourage communities to read together, centering around African American books and authors. It was established in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. This initiative has reached more than 6 million participants around the world and we are delighted to be an NCTE host site at Chaney High School!

Quartez Harris was a hit with our scholars last year and we are so honored that he is kicking off our African American Read In & Write In this year! He is the Ohio Poetry Association's 2021 Poet of the Year. He is the author of We Made It To School Alive, a full-length collection of poems published by Twelve Arts Press, and Nothing, But Skin, a poetry collection published in 2014 by Writing Knights Press. We Made It to School Alive was inspired by his work as a teacher and gives voice to the experiences of the children he works with every day who deal with structural barriers, intergenerational poverty, negligence and more. He is the very first recipient of the Barbara Smith Writer-In-Residence at Twelve Literary Arts and a 2020 Baldwin House Fellow and his poetry and ideas have been featured in The Plain Dealer, Ideastream, and The City Club of Cleveland. Harris' works in progress are two picture books and a young-adult novel in verse. He is brought to us as a Title 1 Schoolwide Project thanks to the support of our Leader, our Chaney High School Principal, Tricia Mulcahy.

7:20 - 2:00 ~ Sustained silent reading of works by African American writers encouraged all day

7:20 - 1:45 ~ Welcoming Committee greets guests in Chaney entry area as they arrive; Library Board students escort guests to Library for coffee/water/bookmarks, then to their assigned classrooms

7:20 - 2:14 ~ Classroom Guest Readers present select readings as scheduled

8:15 - 9:02 ~ Reading by Author: Nothing But Skin - Auditorium

9:06 - 9:55 ~ Reading by Author : We Made it to School Alive - Auditorium

10:00 -11:40 ~ Chaney Writing Fellows Workshop and Q&A with Author, Rm #151- Bring lunches and some of your own writing for feedback from a real, live author!

11:50 - 12:30 ~ Author Meets with ELA TBTs - "Transitioning from Teacher to Author - You Can Do it Too"! Rm. #247

12:37 -1:25 ~ Book Talk : Nothing But Skin & We Made it to School Alive - Auditorium

1:29 - 2:15 ~ "From IEP to Author: Overcoming and Empowering Others"! - Auditorium

2:30 - Committee Debrief with Author, Admin in Room #151; Plus/Delta for next year; (Interested Staff Encouraged to Attend)!

Chair, Maria Pappas, Literacy Coach, Chaney High School

Tricia Mulcahy, Principal, Chaney High School

Kathleen Sauline, Chaney High School Librarian

Nick Aducci, Art Instructor, Chaney High School

Lynette Frost, Parent Engagement Coordinator, Chaney High School

Stacy Quinones, Director, YCSD Communications/Public Relations

Penny Wells, Director, Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past

Alex Harper, Librarian, Michael Kusalaba West side Library

Email: maria.pappas@youngstown.k12.oh.us
Website: www.ycsd.org
Location: Chaney High School, South Hazelwood Avenue, Youngstown, OH, USA
Phone: 330 744 8822
Twitter: @YtownSchools