In 2009

United Arab Emirates University
Poet in Residence - Poetry as Theater

CT Commission on Culture & Tourism
Poetry Out Loud - Workshop Presenter and CT Finals Emcee

Oral Traditions, Stratford CT
Workshop Presenter & Feature w/members of the CT National Youth Poetry Slam Team 2009

Bushnell Partner's Program
Poet-in-Residence @ Classical Magnet HS / Prince Technical HS

Greater Hartford Arts Council
Creative Luncheon Presenter
   Robinson & Cole
    Bank of America
   Kostin & Ruffkess

Urban Gifted Showcase - Central CT State University /
Connecticut Association of Urban Superintendents
Workshop Presenter

Arts and Human Rights Conference - EO Smith HS
Performance and Workshop

CT IMPAC Young Writers Awards Dinner
Teacher Workshop

Sunken Garden Young Poets Competition
Judge and Workshop Presenter

Age in America - Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture at the Wadsworth Atheneum Hartford Art School at University of Hartford
Poet and Presenter

Poet-in-Residence -
  Sugarloaf MS, Florida Keys
  Sport & Medical Sciences Academy, Hartford
  Clover Street Elementary School
  Norwich HS
  Danbury HS
  Sedgwick MS
  Charter Oak Academy, Hartford
  Windsor HS
  Manchester Community College

Featured Poet / Presenter -
  Mad River Literary Festival
  Riverwood Poetry Festival
  Out of the Blue, Florida Keys
  Mishi Maya-Gat Music & Poetry Series
  Creative Networking Associates
  Caduceus, Yale Bookstore
  Manchester Community College Alumni Dinner
  Guilford Poet's Guild
  Bru Cafe, New Haven
 

In 2008

Women of the World Poetry Slam, Detroit
Legacy Poet

The Creative Process, UConn
Co-Feature

Bushnell Partner's Program
Co-Presenter

Oral Traditions, New Haven CT
Workshop Presenter & Feature w/members of the CT National Youth Poetry Slam Team 2008

US Scholar-Athlete Games
Writing Program Director and Presenter

Sunken Gardens Fresh Voices
Presentation Judge

UU Summer Fellowship Conference / Ferry Beach, ME
Writing Program Presenter

Poet-in-Residence-
Clover Street Elementary School, Windsor CT
Worthington Hooker Elementary School, New Haven CT
Torringford Elementary School, Torrington CT
WestConn University, CT
Kinsella Arts Magnet School, Hartford CT
Suffield Middle School, Suffield CT

In 2007

Florida Literacy Coalition
Keynote speaker,  Awards Dinner

CT Commission on Culture and Tourism - HOT Schools Summer Institute
Co-Presenter - Emerging Voices, Writing and Performance

CT Commission on Culture and Tourism
Master Teaching Artist

Poet-in-Residence -
CT Review Literary Journal
Multicultural Connections (an EastCONN inter-district program)
Girl Scouts of America / 'Uniquely Me' Summer Camp
YPI www.ypi.org - Co-educational, residential summer camp

Goodwin Elementary School in Old Saybrook, Naugatuck HS, Conard HS, Cheshire HS Writers Block, Madison MS, Cornwall Consolidated Schools, Columbia Little Library after school teen program...

2005/2006

Florida Council of Teachers of English
Keynote speaker

Florida Literacy Coalition - Open Books Open Minds Conference
Keynote speaker and presenter

World Scholar-Athlete Games, Institute for International Sport, URI
Program Coordinator for the Writing/Poetry Program (157 countries represented)
www.internationalsport.com

Amelia Book Island Festival, Amelia Island FL
A featured author and presenter

YPI www.ypi.org - Co-educational, residential summer camp

Sunken Garden Poetry Series/Young Poets
Poetry judge and mentor

HOT Schools Summer Institute
Co-presenter - Emerging Voices

CT Commission on Culture and Tourism
Master Teaching Artist

Performances in Providence, Nantucket, NYC and Block Island

Presented poetry and out loud performance workshops throughout New England, Georgia, Florida and the Florida Keys

2004/2005

Capitol Region Educational Council/Bushnell Hall
Poet-in-residence for Images of Cultural Identity (5th grade students from Hartford, Newington and Farmington)

Hartford Public Schools
Program Director - Words Alive in the Middle (funded by Capitol Region Educational Council) 

UConn's Confratute, Summer Institute, Enrichment Learning and Teaching for teachers from around the globe
Co-hosted a multi-day workshop - The Spoken Word: Performance Poetry

YPI www.ypi.org - Co-educational, residential summer camp

Sunken Garden Poetry Series/Young Poets
Poetry judge and mentor

CT Commission on Culture and Tourism
Master Teaching Artist

2002/2003

Poetry Live/Litchfield Performing Arts
Workshop presenter for middle school

New England Association of Teachers of English
Workshop presenter

Greater Hartford Academy of Performing Arts
Poet-in-residence for 8th graders

Bushnell Partners Program
Conference presenter

College Explorers of the Florida Keys
Poet-in-residence for Key West High School and Sugarloaf Middle School

Sunken Garden Poetry Series/Young Poets
Poetry judge and mentor

From 1998 to 2001

Capitol Region Educational Council (CREC)
Program Director for Words Alive, a greater Hartford, CT in-school writing program.  Six high schools were involved (New Britain, Wethersfield, Hartford, East Hartford, Weaver and South Windsor).  The program hosted noted poets and writers Naomi Ayala, Martin Espada, Marc Smith, Jack Agueros, Gayle Danley, Claribel Alegria, Ernesto Cardinal, D.J. Renegade, Roger Bonair-Agard, Sara Holbrook, Wayne Karlin, Patricia Smith, Cheryl Savageau, Doug Anderson, Luis Rodriguez, Devorah Major, the Welfare Poets and others.

Brave New Voices/Inter-National Youth Poetry Slam and Festival
Organizer/Coach for CT team

Co-organized and hosted the 1st National Youth Poetry Slam in Hartford, CT in 1998.  The event included teams from the CT, Washington DC, NYC, Worcester, MA and a team from the Navajo Indian Nation of New Mexico.  Since 1998, have traveled with the CT Youth team to New Mexico, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC and in July 2007, San Jose.  Brave New Voices 11 was held in Washington DC in July 2008.  Want more information, please send an email to: upwordspoetry@earthlink.net

Member of three CT National Poetry Slam teams (1994, 1995, 1997)
Represented the 1998 U.S. team in an international slam in Sweden
Individual competitor at NPS in the 2003 (Chicago) and 2005 (Albuquerque)

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If you would like a brochure listing some of the workshops offerings, please email upwordspoetry@earthlink.net to request a copy.

Read some Testimonials

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As a poet and performer, her work continues to be featured throughout the U.S.  A partial Calendar of upcoming readings and workshops is available.  Her first book of poetry, 'Full Circle' was published in 2000 by Hanover Press. Two poems included in the book... Ebb Tide and Tangled.  She recently finished her second collection of poems 'From the Front of the Classroom', poems on learning and teaching through Antrim House Books - Please visit http://www.antrimhousebooks.com/thomas.html.   She also wrote a book on creative writing for children and teachers entitled, 'If Only Red Could Talk'.  For information on ordering any of these books, please email to upwordspoetry@earthlink.net.