Since 1964, California Poets in the Schools (CalPoets) has become one of the largest writers-in-the-schools programs in the nation, serving students K-12 in over 30 California counties, stretching from Humboldt and Siskiyou to Inyo, Mono and San Diego, in districts both urban and rural. Each year CalPoets reaches thousands of classrooms, teaching in public and private schools, juvenile halls, after-school programs, hospitals and in other community settings. Currently we reach around 30,000 students annually served by 102 poet-teachers, ranging from new MFA graduates to poets with over 25 years classroom experience. For 54 years, our poet-teachers have been encouraging students to explore and share some of their most important feelings and insights. Through poetry and performance, children learn to listen beyond stereotypes and acknowledge the right of everyone’s voice to be heard. Our work is more important now than ever.