The Future We Speak ~ CalPoets’ Symposium 2025

For 61 years, California Poets in the Schools (CalPoets) has brought poetry creation and performance to over a million students across the state, and provided a vital professional network for thousands of California poets.

This symposium is open to the public and geared towards literary teaching artists (for all audiences), classroom educators, poets, MFA candidates, and more. Content will be engaging for those brand new to teaching the literary arts and to the “old hats” among us. CalPoets’ Poet-Teachers will lead workshops sharing their skills and expertise.

Workshops will be geared towards the theme of THE FUTURE WE SPEAK. How can poetry serve as a tool for speaking out and speaking up? Can our connection to poetry help build the future we want to see? How do we encourage California youth to unplug, find their unique voices, speak out against injustices, and thrive? What role does poetry hold in the current political climate? How does raising our individual voice encourage others to do the same? We will learn from experts in our midst and pool our best practices for a weekend of learning, networking, community-building, poetry readings, and some good old-fashioned fun.