Here's everything you need to celebrate National Poetry Month:

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend April 2019 Happy National Poetry Month!   Since National Poetry Month was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world.   This year, we're excited to invite you to join us—by participating in the Dear Poet project, displaying the free National Poetry Month poster, sharing poems on Poem in Your Pocket Day, and more!

Sign Up for Your Free Poster   Every year we distribute the official National Poetry Month poster to over 100,000 schools, libraries, and organizations nationwide—and for the first time, this year's poster features artwork by a high school student. If you haven't already, request or download your free copy now! 30 Ways to Celebrate in the Classroom Tips for Librarians More Materials for Teachers Your students could be featured on Poets.org!   We're excited to engage students with poetry through Dear Poet, our education project featuring videos of our award-winning Chancellors reading their work.   Through the end of April, students are invited to mail or email letters to Elizabeth Alexander, Ellen Bass, Marilyn Chin, Forrest Gander, Linda Gregerson, Brenda Hillman, Alicia Ostriker, and Alberto Ríos. All letters will be considered for publication on Poets.org alongside responses from the Chancellors!   Learn more about the 2019 Dear Poet project, and read one English teacher's testimonial. Dear Poet Project 2019   Encourage your students to interact directly with poets through this year's Dear Poet project, featuring Brenda Hillman and seven other poets from our Board of Chancellors. Poem in Your Pocket Day   On April 18, people across North America will carry poems to share with others throughout the day. Download a packet of poems for the occasion, which includes a free guide for how to celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day in schools, bookstores, libraries, public spaces, and on Twitter (with #pocketpoem). Poems for Kids Poems for Teens Lesson Plans for Introducing Poetry A New Online Poetry Tool   We are pleased to announce Emerge, a new online tool on Poets.org. Developed by the Wick Poetry Center, Emerge enables you and your students to make and share a new kind of erasure poem during National Poetry Month and year-round. Poetry for Earth Day   Plan ahead for Earth Day on April 22 with a round-up of poems about nature, the planet, climate change, and more. Then, browse a selection of lesson plans about the environment. Sharing the Celebration   We want to hear from you! Please email us your photos and videos of how you celebrate National Poetry Month in the classroom, and feel free to join the celebration on Twitter (with #NationalPoetryMonth)! Teach This Poem   Produced for K-12 educators, Teach This Poem features one poem a week, accompanied by interdisciplinary resources and activities. In 2018, Teach This Poem received the Innovations in Reading Prize from the National Book Foundation.   Sign up now if you haven't already! National Library Week begins April 7. Haiku Poetry Day is April 17. Children's Book Week begins April 29. Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.   You are receiving this e-mail because you elected to subscribe to our mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038