The hard work and effort put in by Amelie and Kaila in the Youth Frontiers Mentoring Program was realized last Friday night as they and their mentor Penny launched the first Poetry Slam at the Leeton Library. The Poetry Slam was invited to join with Leeton Shire Council’s Festival of Audacious Ideas. After careful planning and diligent research, the Poetry Slam was warmly embraced by the Leeton community.

Poets as young as 12 joined with other like creative minds to deliver their work to an energized crowd. The success of the evening has encouraged the girls to look beyond the reach of the mentoring program and set a goal of bringing the Poetry Slam back as an annual event.

The next component of Amelie, Kaila and Penny’s project will be to organize poetry workshops for local schools. The three hope to enact long lasting change by reinforcing the importance of the arts through creative expression.

Well done Kaila, Amelie and Penny!