Call for Mass Poetry Teen Spoken Word Coordinator
Mass Poetry harnesses the power of words to engage diverse communities across our commonwealth. Our innovative programs spark dialogue, connection, and self expression. We envision a vibrant, inclusive community that lifts all voices. Please visit the organization’s website to learn more about their programs: Mass Poetry Home Page. Teen Festival Page. Teen Programming Page.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
Mass Poetry’s Teen Spoken Word Coordinator offers program and organizational support on the 2026 Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud Teen Spoken Word Festival, a yearly festival held in Boston, Massachusetts. The Coordinator will work closely with the Programming Director to organize programming, coordination with the festival venues and partners, and the regional preliminary bouts leading up to the festival. The Coordinator will also be responsible for curriculum development and implementation of the SW@MP Program (Spoken Word at Mass Poetry) held weekly on Wednesdays during the school year. In addition, our Coordinator will support Mass Poetry’s community programming and events at GrubStreet’s Center for Creative Writing in Boston’s Seaport, where Mass Poetry serves as an arts-partner-in-residence.
COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Commit to 20 hours per week for the full 11-month contract period.
- Plan and coordinate Teen Spoken Word programming (SW@MP), including:
- Lead in-person SW@MP sessions once a week (currently held on Wednesdays)
- Plan one SW@MP field trip per term (three total)
- Assist with student recruitment for SW@MP sessions
- Offer one-on-one meetings with each SW@MP student during Terms 2 and 3
- Assist in the planning and execution of Mass Poetry’s Write Here | Write Now | Speak Loud! Teen Spoken Word Festival.
- Attend and actively participate in meetings, including weekly staff meetings, weekly supervisory meetings with the Director of Programs, and community-building meetings with other poetry leaders.
- Coach the SW@MP Brave New Voices poetry slam team and attend the Brave New Voices Festival in July.
- Support other Mass Poetry programming as needed, such as U35 readings, the Boston Book Festival, and the Massachusetts Poetry Festival.
- Assist with any of the following areas as needed:
- Community outreach to teens, schools, and youth-serving organizations
- Marketing and promotion, including development of outreach materials
- Content creation for websites and social media
- Programming and curating live events such as youth poetry readings, workshops, or retreats
- Adhere to the rules and policies of Mass Poetry.
COORDINATOR QUALIFICATIONS:
- Passion for poetry and familiarity with and/or knowledge of contemporary poets and spoken word poetry
- Interest in literary arts programming, administration, and management
- Experience in Youth Work/working with youth ages 13-19
- Comfortable facilitating youth workshops
- Comfortable hosting slams, open mics, and events
- Comfortable with writing and responding to emails in a timely manner
- Excellent organizational skills
- Experience in performing spoken word and slam
STIPEND:
- This is a contract position and the 11-month stipend for this role is $22,000.
TO APPLY:
- Please submit a cover letter, resume, and 2-3 references via the Teen Spoken Word Coordinator Application Form. No calls please.
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we encourage all applicants to apply early and no later than June 2, 2025.
- Mass Poetry is an equal opportunity employer committed to being an inclusive, multicultural organization. We encourage those who belong to communities that are underrepresented in arts administration such as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, and more to apply.
CURRENT POSTINGS (updated 8.14.24)
As we prepare to launch our 2024 – ’25 programming, we’re seeking volunteers to support our events and programs at GrubStreet’s Center for Creative Writing – to the Massachusetts Poetry Festival. We’re looking for people with a passion for poetry to step in and fill roles such as registration, ushering, ticketing, providing information and more. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please fill out this volunteer inquiry form.
Bring Mass Poetry Into Your Classroom
Apply to bring a poet educator into your classroom for a student day of poetry or longer residency.
Become A Poet Educator
Mass Poetry is seeking experienced Poet-Educators to share their love of poetry. From serving as a poet-in-residence to visiting a classroom through a student day of poetry, share your love of poetry firsthand with students across Massachusetts. Contact us if you would like to join us in this work.
Partner with Us
If you your organization would like to partner with Mass Poetry please email us at marketing@masspoetry.org