-- Elevating Connections is celebrating the 10th edition of its Poetry Jam, marking a decade of creating opportunities for young people affected by foster care and other out-of-home placements to express their voices, build relationships, and remain connected to a community where they are welcomed and supported.
Founded around the belief that every young person deserves to know they belong somewhere, Elevating Connections has built programs centered on relationships, creativity, and connection. Founder Stacey Sanders says the organization was created around a simple conviction: “Every young person deserves to know they belong somewhere and that their relationships, their voice, and their story matter.”
A central part of that work is supporting siblings who have been separated through foster care and other out-of-home placements. Elevating Connections’ Sibling Connections program provides opportunities for siblings to reconnect through bimonthly connecting events featuring recreational and arts activities. The organization also operates Camp Connect, a five-day, four-night summer camp designed specifically for siblings separated through out-of-home placements.
Sanders notes that preserving sibling relationships requires intentional opportunities for young people to spend time together and create memories. Elevating Connections also provides advocacy and consultation related to sibling relationships, including work with judges, attorneys, caseworkers, foster parent groups, and child welfare professionals. The organization works to support implementation of Colorado’s Sibling Bill of Rights, which became law in 2019.
The milestone also highlights another defining element of Elevating Connections’ work: creating opportunities for young people to tell their own stories. The organization’s upcoming 10th Poetry Jam, taking place in October, will give young people who have experienced foster care or other out-of-home placement a platform for poetry, spoken word, music, storytelling and visual art.
In Sanders’ view, the event was shaped by what young people have shared about feeling unheard or silenced by the systems and adults making decisions about their lives. The Poetry Jam gives participants opportunities to take part in workshops, work with professional artists, build relationships, and decide whether and how they want to share their work.
For Elevating Connections, creative expression is part of creating community. The organization’s events calendar has also included visual storytelling workshops and community dinners, reflecting its broader emphasis on opportunities for connection and self-expression.
“Our role is not to edit or dictate their narratives, but to create safe, affirming opportunities for them to express themselves in whatever way feels right to them,” Sanders says.
The organization’s approach is intended to recognize young people as whole individuals whose creativity, relationships, choices and futures deserve attention alongside the challenges they may have experienced. Its programming continues to emphasize belonging and relationships rather than defining young people solely through their experiences with foster care.
As the 10th Poetry Jam marks this milestone, Sanders says Elevating Connections remains committed to building a community in which young people can continue to find connection and support. “No one ages out of Elevating Connections,” she says. “Young people remain part of a community where they are always welcome, supported, and encouraged to build the lives they want.”
The 10th Poetry Jam stands as a milestone within that continuing work, giving young people another opportunity to gather, create, connect, and determine how their voices will be heard.
Contact Info:
Name: Stacey Sanders
Email: Send Email
Organization: Elevating Connections
Website: http://www.elevatingconnections.org
Release ID: 89201466
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