Past Forward, an organization dedicated to educational accessibility whose public podcast service provides guidance and tools to support lifelong learning, recently hosted Get Lit Deputy Director Mason Granger for an interview with their Chapters series. Chapters is a multi-part series which currently seeks to amplify the voices of organizations and individuals who are trying to make a difference, who are standing at the convergence of art, education, and social justice. 

In this episode, Mason talks about his personal journey with poetry and how Get Lit is bringing that life-changing practice to youth around the world. Mason shares how he first was introduced to the art of Spoken Word and Slam Poetry. The performance knocked him off his foundation and spoke in a voice that was as clear to him as a long lost language he had always been fluent in. He discusses how poetry and art in general enhances education curriculum to hit students at a human level, encouraging a search for purpose and connection to all who have humaned before.

“That's, I guess, the crux of Get Lit. Showing kids, “Hey, maybe this is your voice, whether you go on to be a poet and like this, you just discovered your life thing, or this is something that you did once and you had the experience of really interrogating and crafting something. Wherever you are, like you're better for that experience.””

‍You can listen to the podcast here or on your usual podcast platform!