High-school students are often intimidated by poetry. Mostly, their dislike for this writing medium is from a lack of knowledge. Many students simply don’t know how to handle poetry. However, students can begin to appreciate poetry by simply being taught the basic structures and techniques that underlie this form of literature.

One program that is helping to teach poetry is WritersCorps. Since 1994, this non-profit is improving the lives of young people across the nation with creative writing. WritersCorps has helped more than 40,000 people in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods improve literacy and self-sufficiency in San Francisco, CA; Washington DC; and Bronx, NY. In each of their three sites, an established group of artists teach creative writing at public schools and social service organizations in order to improve literacy while also presenting creative expression as an alternative to violence and drug abuse. To read the work of the young people in the WritersCorps program, take a look at their collection of poems titled Paint Me Like I Am.

Want to help your high schooler to write their own poetry? Checkout the non-profit “Teen Ink”, devoted entirely to teen art and writing. The magazine has published more than 45,000 teens since 1989 and claims to have the largest distribution of its kind.

If you’re suffering from major writer’s block, take a look at Francine Prose’s Reading Like A Writer: A Guide for People Who Look Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them. This humorous and informative New York Times best seller will inspire readers to look at classic literature by authors such as Philip Roth and Flannery O’Connor from a different perspective.

For poetry written just for teens, check out Elise Paschen’s new book, Poetry Speaks Who I am: poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else. The book and CD compilation includes poems about the pressures of school, losing a grandparent, sibling rivalry, and parent problems.

Although these are just a few examples, if you have any ideas or resources to share – make a comment below!