At Milwaukee High School of the Arts, students are preparing for a district-wide poetry showcase, using creative writing to find their voices and build confidence.
For many in the creative writing class, poetry is more than an assignment. It serves as a safe space where students process life, emotions, and identity.
"It's very special to me… I feel like creative writing has helped me a lot, especially with confidence stuff, because I was really shy in middle school," Kharlea Brown said.
The sophomore said poetry helped her find her voice.
"They helped me express my confidence so I can get up on stage and just speak out my writing and myself," Brown said.
Watch: Milwaukee High School of the Arts students use poetry to build confidence and find their unique voices
Across the room, other students share similar experiences of turning thoughts on paper into confidence on stage.
"It helps me process like how I feel, how I think of things… I always like to have a journal on me, so I'm always writing like whatever comes to mind," Ana Kruger said.
"It made me like more open to people, and it made me more confident and more outgoing, so like now I can like go on stages and stuff," Eternity Hopper said.
Teacher Peter Whalen watches this shift happen all the time as quiet voices find their power.
"These kids come from all over the city… They’re invested in the art form… wanting to develop their skills and grow," Peter Whalen said.
"It gives them avenues towards self-expression that other art forms might not necessarily," Whalen said.
In this classroom, expression builds connection for students who might otherwise keep their feelings inside.
"It lets everything out because I usually don't really talk about it, so it makes me just let everything out," Sierra Guerrero said.
Seeing the impact the class has on the students, I decided to give writing a poem a try. For some students, this classroom is the first place they have felt comfortable enough to be real.
"I think poetry will really help you get out there more and help people connect," Brown said.
As the students prepare for the upcoming showcase, they are not just sharing poems; they are sharing who they are.
Milwaukee Public Schools is hosting a district-wide Poetry Showcase on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the MPS Central Services Auditorium (5225 W. Vliet Street) from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m and is open to the public.
Students from kindergarten through 12th grade can submit original poems, spoken word, or short stories. Submissions must reflect personal ideas, stay within word limits (150 words for poems, 200 for short stories), and be appropriate in content.
From those submissions, seven students per grade group (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12) will be selected to perform their work live at the showcase, with each presentation lasting 1–2 minutes.
Submissions were due March 19, and selected participants will be notified by March 27, with final confirmations due by April 7.
The event aims to give students a platform to express themselves creatively and share their voices with the community.
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