Jason Taylor Foundation to Host Second Annual Louder Than a Bomb Florida Poetry Festival from April 5-16, 2016 - Jason Taylor Foundation

For the second consecutive year, the Jason Taylor Foundation is giving the South Florida community the chance to witness the top youth poets in the state compete during a cutting edge event – the Louder Than a Bomb Florida Poetry Festival presented by Nova Southeastern University and UPS. This highly anticipated event takes place from April 5 – 16, 2016.

Dubbed the “Super Bowl of poetry,” Louder Than a Bomb Florida, a Jason Taylor Foundation arts and education project, features a friendly spoken-word competition between school-based poetry teams representing local high schools from Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. Funding from Nova Southeastern University, UPS and a host of other community partners has assisted the Jason Taylor Foundation support the schools’ efforts by providing year-round, in-class and after-school instruction, which will culminate in this 12-day festival.

“We believe very strongly in not only educating the young people we serve, but also in empowering them to develop their voice,” said Jason Taylor. “Our bluapple Poetry Network has provided these kids with the vehicle to share their stories and to have them validated by their peers and adults alike, from schools and neighborhoods across the state.  Louder Than A Bomb Florida only amplifies their powerful, raw truth and does so by combining the art of the spoken word with a sports-like atmosphere that is having a transformational effect on our community.”

The schedule of events for Louder Than a Bomb Florida is just as impressive, and is as follows:

Event Date Time Location
Preliminary Bouts – Day One Tuesday, April 5, 2016 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. &

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

 

ArtServe

Cinema Paradiso

City of Sunrise Civic Center

Delray Beach Arts Garage

Hoffman’s Chocolates LTABFLA Celebration Tuesday, April 5, 2016 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Hoffman’s Chocolates – Weston Town Center
Preliminary Bouts – Day Two Wednesday, April 6, 2016 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. &

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

 

Arthur Ashe, Jr. Center

Cinema Paradiso

Little Haiti Cultural Center

Miramar Cultural Center

Paradise Live – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel

Firecracker/Dynamite Slam Friday, April 8, 2016 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Dillard School for the Performing Arts
Elemental Friday, April 8, 2016 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Heroes of Hip Hop
Semifinals Saturday, April 9, 2016 10 a.m.; 1 p.m.; 4 p.m.; 7 p.m. Don Taft Auditorium, Nova Southeastern University
“Food for Thought” Urban Art Slam & Coaches’ Slam Sunday, April 10, 2016 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. 1977, FATVillage

 

Town Hall Meeting: Life Beyond Likes

Presented by United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse

Monday, April 11, 2016 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Knight Auditorium, Nova Southeastern University
The Mayor’s Slam Tuesday, April 12, 2016 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Signature Grand
College Slam Thursday, April 14, 2016 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Rose & Alfred Miniaci Nova Performing Arts Center, Nova Southeastern University
Individual Finals Friday, April 15, 2016 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Rose & Alfred Miniaci Nova Performing Arts Center, Nova Southeastern University
BreakBeat Poets Workshop Saturday, April 16, 2016 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Knight Auditorium, Nova Southeastern University
Steven Douglas Associates Team Finals Saturday, April 16, 2016 6:00– 9:00 p.m. Rose & Alfred Miniaci Nova Performing Arts Center, Nova Southeastern University

Louder Than a Bomb Florida is a festival featuring poetry bouts, workshops, exhibits, and ultimately the crowning of Florida’s top youth poetry team. The most critical component, however, is the year-round, meaningful instruction inside the classroom and after-school clubs, with teachers and teaching artists who create and facilitate a safe space for individual and collective expression.

Since founding the bluapple Poetry Network with actor and poet Omari Hardwick in 2012, the Foundation has helped more than 60 schools activate this program, with more than 1,000 participants inspiring their communities with poetry.

In addition to Nova Southeastern University and UPS, other supporters of Louder Than a Bomb Florida include 1977 FATVillage, 99 JAMZ, Applebee’s, Arts Garage, ArtServe, A&T Dry Cleaners, BBX Capital Foundation, Best Buy of Davie, Blaze Pizza, Broward Schools, Carnival Foundation, Cinema Paradiso, City of Sunrise, Clear Channel Outdoor, Diversity, Prevention and Intervention of Broward County Schools, Heroes of Hip Hop, Hits 97.3, Hoffman’s Chocolates, Invicta Watch Group, Little Haiti Cultural Center, Miami Dolphins Foundation, Minuteman Press of Hollywood, Miramar Cultural Trust, NBC-6, Pavlov’s Ring The Bell Management, Publix, Rick Case Automotive Group, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Signature Grand, Sonshine Communications, Steven Douglas Associates, Super Fan Sports Fundraising, The Archives, Thunderous Genius Creative House, Ultimate Software, United Way of Broward County Commission on Substance Abuse, Urban Word, Wizard Creations, Young Chicago Authors and Zing Sock Club.

About the Jason Taylor Foundation

In July 2004, Miami Dolphins legendary Defensive End, Jason Taylor, established the Jason Taylor Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization. The Foundation’s mission is to support and create programs that facilitate the personal growth and empowerment of South Florida’s children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life.

Since opening its doors, the Jason Taylor Foundation has impacted tens of thousands of children through innovative programming including The Jason Taylor Reading Room, Cool Gear for the School Year, the Jason Taylor Children’s Learning Center, Jason Taylor Scholars and the Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network, among others. For more information on the Jason Taylor Foundation, please visit www.JasonTaylorFoundation.org or follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jasontaylorfoundationor Twitter and Instagram: @jtfoundation99 or @bluapplepoetry #LTABFLA.

About Nova Southeastern University (NSU)

Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NSU is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and first-professional degrees levels.  An independent, not-for-profit institution with approximately 25,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida as well as  San Juan, Puerto Rico and online globally.  For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.

About UPS

For more than 30 years, UPS has supported the work of organizations that share our dedication to improving lives and strengthening communities where we live and work every day.  Within these communities, we’re addressing important issues such as early-grade reading, high school graduation rates and financial stability.  This ties directly into the mission of the Jason Taylor Foundation.  This positive impact on society could not be created without the overwhelming help and support of UPS employees.  Since 1982, UPS and its employees – both active and retired – have donated more than $1 billion to non-profit organizations through their annual United Way campaign, becoming the first company to reach this philanthropic milestone.  As a result, UPS is a two-time winner of the United Way’s Spirit of America award, the organization’s highest national honor for corporate involvement and commitment to building better communities. For information, please visit www.ups.com.

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