Making the Invisible Visible: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Homeless Youth Through Spoken Word and Counternarratives

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Supporting Talent Development of At-Risk Students Through Pedagogical Best Practices and Teacher Training

Abstract

Several studies have revealed the positive impact of spoken word poetry in urban settings. Yet the literature includes few studies that address how educators of homeless youth can create a space for creative expression and serve as praxis for social transformation. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study (interviews and observations) is to fill the gap in literature by using spoken word to reframe the deficit perception of homeless youth. The findings will reveal that teachers could benefit from implementing alternative pedagogical approaches such as spoken word to capture the missing voice of homeless youth. Exploring the lived experiences of homeless youth will improve academic, behavioral, and cognitive success among homeless youth and among other vulnerable populations.

Author

• Tiffany Hollis, University of North Carolina - Charlotte