Offered free of charge to schools that qualify, our In-School Residency programming consists of two hour-long sessions a week, over the course of 12 weeks. Each session is taught by a trained Say Word Teaching Artist, working alongside resident teachers, within the classroom setting. Our curriculum aligns with California Common Core standards, engages students at the intersection of literacy and performing arts, and explores various themes, working outwards from Self-Discovery to Inner Circle to Community. Within each class, teaching artists create safe and nurturing opportunities for young writers to dive deep and reflect on what defines them and how they are defined by others, examining their cultural, socio-economical, and gender identities. By supporting, encouraging and facilitating this work, Say Word introduces students to the essential tools of self-expression.