N.C. A&T, Greensboro Bound Host Inaugural High School Poet Laureate Poetry Workshop

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Nov. 21, 2025) — North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Department of English, in collaboration with Greensboro Bound, recently hosted a High School Poet Laureate (HSPL) Poetry Workshop, marking the beginning of what organizers hope will become an annual tradition.

This creative partnership was led by Kendra N. Bryant Aya, Ph.D., N.C. A&T associate professor of English, whose networking during National Poetry Month at a Creative Greensboro event sparked the collaboration.

“This was the first time this workshop was offered in partnership with Greensboro Bound,” said Bryant Aya. “According to Greensboro Bound Board of Directors Vice Chair Stephen Colyer, no one had ideated an academic component to the Greensboro Bound HSPL program, and it has been operating for two decades.”

Along with Colyer, Bryant Aya was joined by assistant English professors James Daniels and Matthew Armstrong, Ph.D.; English instructors Brianna Yancey, Jeniffer Tamayo and Amber White; 2025-26 A&T Poet Laureate Tyler Moore; English administrator Liane Freshwater; College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences administrative support associate Karen Russell; and Southwest Guilford High School library media coordinator Jennie Hunt.

“One of our initiatives is to strengthen collaborations with the Greensboro community. Inviting the creative writing faculty, now led by James Daniels, to join me in partnering with Greensboro Bound was a no-brainer,” said Bryant Aya. “Partnering with Greensboro Bound not only strengthens our community relationships, but because Greensboro Bound works closely with Guilford County and other schools, our partnership indirectly serves as a student recruitment opportunity.”

Greensboro Bound’s mission is to celebrate and nourish the benefits of reading by providing the community with a variety of programs that connect readers to talented, thoughtful and diverse writers This mission led to the central goal of the HSPL poetry workshop: inviting high school poets to think more critically about poetry and move beyond their initial experiences as young writers who may not yet have access to creative writing courses.

During the program, workshops focused on revision, form, literary elements and peer review, giving students the opportunity to strengthen both their technical and creative writing skills. Students explored how structure and style influence meaning in poetry while learning to refine their work through constructive feedback from peers and instructors. Faculty guided students in identifying unique poetic voices and experimenting with new techniques to elevate their expression. The hands-on format encouraged collaboration, critical thinking and a deeper appreciation for the craft of writing.

The English department at A&T, established in 1975, is an academic community where students explore literature, language, and writing to cultivate creativity, critical thinking and strong communication skills. The department’s mission is to promote cultural understanding and promote intellectual curiosity through rigorous academic study and creative engagement.

“I hope experiences like these show students that workshops provide spaces for nontraditional learning and cultural creation – opportunities they may not encounter within conventional academic settings,” said Bryant Aya.