Promoting Healthy Youth | Using Haiku Poetry and Creative Expression

Promoting Healthy Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors Among Youth Using Haiku and Creative Expression: A Training Manual for Mentors (copyrighted) written by Dr. Imani Ma’at released and available to the public on July 1, 2008 as well as an Applied Workbook for Teens.

The books provide information on health issues such as delaying sex, HIV, violence, self-esteem, diet and exercise (and much more) and examples of Haiku and other poetry written about the issues.

The facilitator provides scientific and social facts about the alarming impact of each health issues on youth in our society. She then presents samples of haiku and other poetry written about each issue. Haiku is a poetic art form that originated in Japan in the seventeenth century. It uses 17 syllables on three lines usually configured as 5 syllables-7 syllables – 5 syllables for telling a story concisely and with few words.

Dynamic interactive workshops have been developed to train mentors in using the manual to hold workshops, and to work directly with youth audiences.

Participants, after hearing the overview of the health issues and sample poems, are separated into groups that continue to discuss one of the health issues and write their own poetry which they share with the larger group.

For more information concerning the book or scheduling workshops contact Dr. Ma'at at:

imanimaat@comcast.net

Ten percent of book proceeds will be donated to Youth Educational Services 4 Health
(Y.E.S.) Inc. a 501c3 not-for-profit organization...

"Empowering Youth...Changing the World"