Urban Word NYC
Urban Word NYC (UW) exists to ensure that New York City youth have a safe, supportive, dynamic and challenging community in which to discover their voices -through written and spoken word and use them to express their views, strengthen self-esteem and engage in opportunities that address the sociopolitical issues that affect them.
UW’s artistic vision is to build a community of young leaders, writers, spoken word and hip-hop artists who, through self-awareness and enhanced critical thought, help alter the socio-economic pathway constructed for inner-city youth from marginalization toward one of empowerment, tolerance and social responsibility. UW promotes student-centered learning through active literacy and positive social dialogue across boundaries of age, race, gender, culture and sexuality. UW offers a roster of creative writing, college preparation, literature and hip-hop workshops for youth ages 13 to 19 that develop critical thinking skills, leadership, and ignite a commitment to learning.