Promoting literacy in our schools

Etruscan Press Outreach Program brings acclaimed authors into high schools to work with at-risk students, increasing not only the literacy of the students we work with, but also college matriculation rates and a general appreciation for the literary arts.

Etruscan Press Outreach was developed to:

• Expand the cultural horizons of at-risk students in Northeast Ohio and Northeast Pennsylvania
• Demonstrate the love of literature in the lives of young people
• Promote inter-cultural tolerance and understanding
• Prepare at-risk students for success in college
• Promote literacy and a love of reading

Our Educational Outreach Program serves communities surrounding the two geographical hubs for Etruscan Press: Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio and Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. For information on participating in our outreach program or about our outreach books (introduced below), please contact us at books@etruscanpress.org.

Student feedback

“I feel I gained leadership qualities and how to keep pushing myself to achieve goals no matter what. I would like more writers to visit.” – K.L., 9th grader

“I gained courage in reading my story to the audience and I enjoyed meeting a real writer.” -James T., 10th grader

“I was a little nervous to go up and read my story. I gained self-confidence and enjoyed reading my story to all the people in my class.” -Takayla A., 9th grader

Recent programs

• American Fugue author, Alexis Stamatis, held a writing workshop at Youngstown Early College. Read a story about this event.

Outreach books include:

American Fugue
Translated from the Greek by Diane Thiel, Alexis Stamatis’s modern quest novel is taught in conjunction with Homer’s Odyssey, making both pieces relevant to each other and to students.

Drift Ice
Jennifer Atkinson’s collection of poems on ecology and the natural world invites an interdisciplinary exploration with literature, science, and history faculty.

Synergos
One of Cuba’s most decorated poets, Roberto Manzano’s wide-ranging collection of poems is the perfect platform for students to write response poems and study how translators work.

The Disappearance of Seth
Kazim Ali’s dramatic novel compellingly invites students and faculty alike to consider the history and perspective of the other using an emotionally loaded subject: 9/11.