amplifying
youth voiceS
with spoken word
Curricula and programs that inspire literacy, wellness, and creativity.
The Results Are In…
We invited educators and students from all across Los Angeles County to respond to our live album. The prompt was simple: tell us about your LA.
What happened next was incredible.
More than 1,000 poems poured in from every corner of our city - love letters to the City of Angels at a time when these voices were deeply needed
- 1,065 submissions
- 28 schools
- 4,423 public votes cast
- $30,000 in cash prizes given away
From magnet programs and charter schools to continuation and public high schools, the submissions reflected an extraordinary range of lived experience, showcasing the true cultural depth and creative power of Angelenos.
The winners were selected by an all-star panel of poets, artists, and cultural leaders:
- Aloe Blacc — Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and activist
- Gina Belafonte — Humanitarian, artivist, and producer
- Chen Chen — Award-winning poet (The New Yorker, Poetry Magazine)
- José Olivarez — Poet, educator, and Latinx youth arts advocate
- Safia Elhillo — Sudanese-American poet, MacDowell Fellow
Teacher with the Most Student Submissions
Dottie Burkhart, Mark Keppel High School
Thank You Los Angeles!
To every student & teacher who wrote bravely, every judge who listened deeply, and every community member who voted. We thank you.
This is what happens when young voices are heard.
Special thanks to our partner eKadence for providing the technology for our community to share and vote for their favorite entries.
The creative career lab
Announcing the Creative Career Lab, Get Lit's year-long professional development program. The Creative Career Lab prepares young professionals ages 18-28 to thrive in a full-time position in the creative and nonprofit sectors. Graduates will receive support finding–and the skills to excel at–a dream job!
Get Lit's Creative Career Lab is funded by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) through the California Community Reinvestment Grants Program (CalCRG). This program aims to create a bridge to success for young adults through critical professional training, connections, and paid job placement.
Welcome to Get Lit’s Creative Career Lab. Let’s get to work.
ANNUAL
REPORT
We've been busy. Check out everything we did over the past year.
learn more
.webp)
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation sponsored our Founder and Executive Director, Diane Luby Lane, to take three Harvard University courses.
We are thrilled to announce that our documentary Beyond Words: Verses of Change airs Friday, December 13th at 8PM PST!
The Los Angeles Times featured Get Lit in their recent article all about the 'Our Words Collide' documentary and the Classic Slam.
Get Lit was featured in a new article from national publication EdSource about our work in literacy education.
We are thrilled to share the details of the amazing year we had, all thanks to YOU: our community, our donors, and all of our awesome poets, educators, and volunteers.
Young Hollywood put the spotlight on Get Lit and our annual Gala, along with an interview of Get Lit's founder Diane Luby Lane and info about Get Lit's new Creative Lab!
Diane Luby Lane traveled to Washington D.C. to accept the Successful Practices Honoree Award from the Library of Congress on behalf of Get Lit.
This year, Ethnic Studies is becoming a graduation requirement for LAUSD – and Get Lit’s Voices in Verse curriculum is leading the charge!
Get Lit was just honored with the Library of Congress Literacy Award for our implementation of successful practices in literacy promotion through the Uni(verse) platform!
In the second of ABC 7's two-part series on Get Lit, reporter Anabel Munoz interviews founder Diane Luby Lane, student poets, teacher Jeanetta Wolfe and poet Luis Rodriguez about the transformative power of poetry and Uni(verse).
Breathing fire
Check out the archive of our monthly newsletter.
learn more