Just Do It
What does Nike, poetry, and a group of middle school students have in common?
The middle school campers at LCEC spent a chunk of their Summer working with Tiffany Ike, a community artist, poet, and athlete to learn about poetry and how that goes hand-in-hand with the media we consume on a daily basis.
So, how do you get middle school students to engage in learning about literacy during the summer? Well…through MotivE, a five-week workshop Tiffany used brands like Nike, UnderArmour, and Adidas to captivate the interest of the youth. The group spent time watching, reflecting on, and dissecting the literacy tools and poetic elements found in sports and motivational commercials. This non-traditional approach not only helped students engage in learning, but also inspired them to create their own motivational commercial.
Working together in groups, the students were given writing prompts that encourage self-worth, challenging them to write a collaborative poem in response. From there, they took the words they’d written and transformed them into an inspirational commercial that sold nothing – but confidence! After planning, shooting, and editing the students spent their last day of the workshop presenting their process and their final video. Be inspired – check out Power and Elite Ballers below.
