I am Luis Acosta, and I have always had a passion for poetry and I wanted to share my passion and give other people the opportunity to enjoy poetry alongside me. It took some time to decide what a specific genre of poetry, in the end I chose slam poetry also known as spoken word in order to be my Junior Senior Project. Having gone to Slam events and seeing slam poetry online before starting this project inspired me to pursue one of my hidden passions for my project. 

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Did you know that Slam Poetry began in the suburbs of Chicago in 1984? It became the largest and most recent movement in poetry. Spreading like wildfire, Slam poetry made its way across the country and then the world. Competitions and thousands of individual events across the United States gave people the ability to perform and express their own form of poetry no matter their education, race or ethnicity. While researching about Slam Poetry, I was introduced to an enormous community. Slam poetry has had an enormous impact and has allowed people all over the world to truly express themselves.

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After writing a research paper, it was time for me to make events happen. In total I had two successful events. A writing workshop with the 7th graders and an open campfire slam that was available to the whole student body. I learned valuable skills and realized that the vision in my head doesn't always match with other people's understanding. Other lessons I learned include organization, being detailed and realizing that obstacles are far more common than you expect and should be planned for. 

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The goal of a Junior Senior project is to leave a long lasting effect on your local community. To improve your surroundings for the better. Before my Junior Senior project, I already had a commitment to my community that stretches back to 4th grade. Since this has been a previous commitment, I feel that it should be mentioned alongside my project, as it has the same purpose: to help others and to make a lasting impact in my community. This is tradition I hope to bring to every community I will become a part of.