CNMI teens invited to raise awareness of dating violence through slam poetry

The Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence is inviting CNMI teens to help raise awareness on teen dating violence and/or promote healthy relationships through slam poetry at the annual Teen Poetry Slams on Rota and Saipan.

February 2017 was recently recognized as Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month in the CNMI. This is part of national and local efforts to raise awareness about abuse in teen dating relationships, promote healthy and safe relationships, and help promote resources available for victims and survivors.

The Rota Teen Poetry Slam will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on the campus of Dr. Rita H. Inos Junior Senior High School. Teens interested in competing must submit their poems and contact information before or by 4:30pm on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017, for review by emailing rotacoalition@gmail.com.

For more information on the Teen Poetry Slam on Rota, contact the NMCADSV office on Rota at 532-3878 or a team representative at 783-2827, or email rotacoalition@gmail.com.

The Saipan Teen Poetry Slam will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, from 6pm to 9pm at the Pacific Islands Club’s Charley’s Cabaret. Teens interested in competing must submit their poems and contact information before or by 5pm on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, for review by emailing info@endviolencenmi.org.

Those who meet poem submission requirements will also be invited to a Slam Poetry Performance Workshop on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, from 8:30am to 3pm at PIC’s Annex Room. Also, those who wish to participate need permission from a parent or guardian, and their school, if applicable. Note that attending this workshop is not mandatory.

The Saipan Teen Poetry Slam and workshop are also open to teens On Tinian.

For more information on the Teen Poetry Slam or workshop on Saipan, contact the NMCADSV office on Saipan at 234-3878 or email info@endviolencenmi.org.

Poem submissions must include the contestant’s full name, age, name of school, and contact number(s). Poems may also be sent within the body of the email or as an attached MS Word document or PDF. Note that poems must not contain real names or profanity.

Judging criteria for poems and performances include quality of writing, entertainment value of the poem, connection to audience, and relevance to Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month. There will also be two competing divisions: the 13-15-year-old division and the 16-19-year-old division.

For additional information on these events or on Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month, contact NMCADSV at 234-3878 or email Angelyn Nimwes, NMCADSV Program Manager, at angelyn@endviolencenmi.org. Also, for the latest news and updates, follow NMCADSV on Facebook, Instagram (@nmcadsv) and Twitter (@EndViolenceNMI).