In English classrooms all over the world, there are few lesson plans that elicit as much fear and despair as the dreaded poetry assignment. Rob Currin, an English teacher at Alden High School, is out to change this. An avid reader and writer of poetry, Currin has not only tried to inspire a love of poetry within his students, but also spent the past few months working with educators around the globe to do the same.

“Poetry should be read and poetry should be heard. So many teachers, when they talk about their kids, they’ll say kids are so ho-hum about poetry. But when students create their own poems, everyone’s always impressed,” Currin said.

This led Currin to establish the Global Poetry Project, an online community that allows students and teachers to share and discuss their poetry. As he has experienced firsthand the difficulties of traditional publishing, Currin thought that there should be an avenue available for anyone to publish original poetry for a global audience. The idea came to him in early October.

Hoping to not take too much time away from his responsibilities as a teacher, father, husband and football coach, Currin enlisted the help of Angela Stockman, creator of Western New York Education Associates. Stockman suggested that Currin make the Global Poetry Project a part of the Working Together 2 Make a Difference Ning she was helping to create. A ning is an online social platform for people who share the same interests.

The Working Together 2 Make a Difference is a collaboration between educators from Buffalo, Ontario and Melbourne, Australia, to link volunteerism and service learning.

“We have a core group of committed educators and students who are driving discussions and action. I’m really pleased with its growth and with all of the great work being shared within the space,” Jenny Luca, an English teacher at Toorak College in Melbourne, said via e-mail. “I always feel better after visiting because I have a real sense that people from all corners of the world care about their fellow man, woman and child. I know that schools can play such a positive role in formulating the character of the students in our care, and I see that happening in the sharing that takes place in the ning.”

Once the Global Poetry Project was up and running, Currin and the other educators on the Working Together 2 Make a Difference Ning began promoting it to their students. In a month’s time, the Global Poetry Project boasted over 30 members from the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, with over 30 poems published to date.

After hearing about the project, Alden senior Stephanie Campbell, 17, was eager to contribute.

“I love writing and I love poetry, so it just gave me an excuse to write” she said. “I’ve been writing poetry as long as I can remember, because I always thought poetry was the perfect way to express things. I really like poetry because I feel like it can bring people together. That’s why [the project] was created, so that poetry can unite people.”

For other students, the Global Poetry Project interested them because it’s a low-pressure way of getting their poetry out there. At first, Alden senior Kevin Rosier, 17, had been so nervous to have anyone read his work that he anonymously slipped his poem under Currin’s classroom door. Once Currin dis-

covered who the poet was, Kevin was finally encouraged to take credit for his work.

“I had always kind of written poetry, but I had never really shared it. People from all around the world are there, and they’re all doing it, too. It’s easier to put yourself out there. It’s pretty cool,” said Kevin. “Don’t hold back just because you’re a guy. Guys can write poetry, too.”

By posting their work, ning members have the rare opportunity to receive feedback and directly discuss meaning behind the poem with their readers.

“I think the students involved can see the benefit of publishing their work for a public audience, and they have the ability to appreciate the feedback they get from members of the group,” said Luca.

As the Global Poetry Project grows and expands, Currin is hoping to further link the project with the vision of Working Together 2 Make a Difference. There has been some discussion that once enough poems are posted, an anthology of the poems might be published and sold to raise funds for a charity. However, Currin’s greatest goal for the project is that it will bring about further cultural understanding.

“We get wrapped up in our specific culture or our specific geography, so that a lot of times, we don’t have much cause to look outside of that. When people can see that other people are having common experiences on the opposite side of the globe, I think that raises the awareness that we’re all one common human race,” Currin said. “Even if that awareness is only brought to the attention of the members of the project, if one or two people are helped by joining this group, it warrants the creation of it.”

To become a part of the Global Poetry Project, visit workingtogether2makeadifference.ning .com and click on The Global Poetry Project.

Carlene Miller is a senior at Alden High School.