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THE POINT OF THE POETRY


By Joshua Adams

The recovering economy and partisan disagreement has left Congress with tough decisions on where to spend money. Funding to after-school programming was one of the first areas the government cut, leaving thousands of public school students without vital activities. But communities have galvanized to provide kids with free opportunities in arts programs, with outlets like spoken word. Reporter Joshua Adams talks to poet and social activist Tom Earl about his youth open mic, why arts education is important, and the point of the poetry. (Click on photo for full story)

Click on Wordle for deeper insight into the issues Tom Earl spoke about in his gripping poem.


Tom Earl performs a poem entitled"Youth Voices"

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View Top 10 States'After School Programs Most Affected By Sequestration Budget Cuts in a full screen map

Though the government has been cutting funding towards after school programming, people like Tom Earl are fighting to provide youth with creative, safe, and free alternatives. Click the above map to see the 10 states most affected by the sequestration budget cuts.