Page 15 to host 5th Annual Pop-Up Poetry March 12 in Orlando
Families, educators and community members are invited to experience the power of words at the luncheon and showcase celebrating inspiring young voices in Central Florida
EMPOWERING STUDENTS WHILE CELEBRATING CREATIVE WRITING AND YOUNG VOICES HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. THAT’S A MISSION BEHIND A LOCAL NONPROFIT BASED IN ORLANDO’S PARAMORE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS. PAGE 15 HAS BEEN A SAFE SPACE FOR THOUSANDS OF KIDS. THIS WEEK, YOU’RE INVITED TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF WORDS AT THE GROUP’S FIFTH ANNUAL POP UP POETRY EVENT. AND JOINING ME NOW, WE HAVE PAGE 15 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JULIA YOUNG. GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. GOOD MORNING. YEAH. AND CITY OF ORLANDO POET LAUREATE. KAMARA. GAITHER. GREAT TO HAVE YOU KAMARA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. OKAY JULIA IT’S GREAT TO HAVE A FORMER WESH TWO COMMUNITY CHAMPION BACK TALKING ABOUT PAGE 15 THAT WE PUT THAT SPOTLIGHT ON. BUT IF SOMEONE HASN’T HEARD OF PAGE 15 THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE TO GO TO THE WESH.COM PAGE RIGHT NOW. YOU’RE GOING TO TELL US ALL ABOUT IT. WHAT DO YOU TELL PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE WORK? YEAH. SO PATRIOTS TEAM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR, LIKE YOU SAID, ALMOST 20 YEARS. WE ARE A CREATIVE WRITING AND EMPOWERMENT NONPROFIT. WE WORK THROUGHOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA, BUT WE WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE PRIMARILY IN PARAMORE, CREATIVE WRITING, POETRY PROGRAMS, AFTER SCHOOL, IN SCHOOL, DURING THE SUMMER, REALLY ALLOWING KIDS TO FIND THEIR OWN VOICE, GAIN VALUABLE LITERACY SKILLS, AND WRITE STORIES. YEAH, IT’S SUCH A GREAT OUTLET. AND KAMARA YOU’RE NO STRANGER HERE TO WESH TWO NEWS EITHER. SO WE’VE GOT LIKE A HOMECOMING. OUR OWN CHRISTINA WATKINS DID A FEATURE STORY LAST YEAR ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU BECAME THE CITY BEAUTIFUL’S POET LAUREATE. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT YOU’RE A MOM A WIFE A PRE LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST. ARE YOU? YOU DO IT ALL. TRULY. I TRY YEAH. AND POETRY FOR YOU IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY BEGAN AT AN EARLY AGE. WHY? WHAT WAS IT THEN THAT SPARKED IT, AND WHY HAVE YOU STUCK WITH IT? YEAH, I THINK THAT POETRY, FOR ANY YOUNG PERSON MYSELF OR ANY YOUNG PERSON IS REALLY, REALLY A SAFE PLACE TO CREATIVELY AND PLAYFULLY EXPLORE LANGUAGE AND YOUR STORIES AND JUST UNBURDEN ANYTHING THAT MIGHT FEEL CONFUSING OR HEAVY. YEAH, IT’S A REALLY SPECIAL SPACE TO JUST GET TO BE ON A PAGE. YEAH, AND THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. GIVING KIDS THAT OUTLET, YOU KNOW, YOU AS A MOM, DO DO DO THAT WITH YOUR OWN KIDS. TRY TO TEACH THEM SOME OF THESE SKILLS. DID THEY INHERIT THAT FROM YOU? I THEY SAY THAT THEY DO IN MEMORY AND MEMORIZING SOME THINGS. AND I THINK THAT’S TRUE. YEAH, YEAH. SO THEY’RE WRITING A LITTLE BIT. DEFINITELY COMING TO MAYBE TOO MANY OF MY PERFORMANCES RIGHT NOW. YEAH. AND LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS POP UP POETRY EVENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE SAYING, I WANT TO GET OUT, ESPECIALLY TO BRING THEIR YOUNG PEOPLE. WHAT DO YOU WANT OUR OUR VIEWERS TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING? POP UP IS AN INCREDIBLE. IT’S REALLY ONE OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS WE HOST ALL YEAR. SO IT IS JUST A STREET SIDE CELEBRATION OF POETRY. WE FEATURE SOME INCREDIBLE YOUNG POETS THAT ARE WRITING AT PAGE 15, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY HAVING THEM ON STAGE, SHOWCASING THEIR WORK ALONG. SOMEBODY LIKE THE POET LAUREATE OF THE CITY OF ORLANDO IS VERY EMPOWERING. EMPOWERING? YEAH. AND JUST A REALLY BEAUTIFUL DAY. BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION OF WORDS AND POETRY. ANY ANY SNEAK PEEK HERE ON WHAT THE KIDS ARE DOING OR HAVE PLANNED? YOU GOTTA LET US IN ON SOME. IT’S GOING TO HAVE TO COME AND SEE. WE’VE GOT WE’VE GOT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLERS, MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, HIGH SCHOOLERS. THEY’RE ALL VERY BEAUTIFUL WORKS FROM THE HEART. AND YEAH, THERE’S A BUNCH OF BRILLIANCE THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON STAGE ON THURSDAY. SO YOU JUST HAVE TO COME AND SEE. OKAY. AND LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND ALL OF US TO TO MAYBE HAVE THAT PLACE WHERE WE CAN PUT OUR WORDS DOWN. WE CAN GET IT ALL OUT SO THAT WE DON’T KEEP IT INSIDE. YEAH. I THINK IT’S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AND THEIR OWN UNIQUE EXPERIENCES SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE AGENCY TO SHAPE THEIR OWN STORIES IN THEIR OWN LIVES AND THEN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR SOCIETY AT LARGE. SO IF YOU TEACH A KID TO BE ABLE TO WRITE AND UNDERSTAND AND MAKE MEANING OF THEIR OWN STORY, YOU’RE SHOWING THEM THAT THEY CAN DO THAT IN THEIR LIFE STORY. AND I THINK THAT THAT’S WHAT PAGE 15 DOES SO WELL, AND WHY WE HAVE SO MUCH SYNERGY TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE’RE IN SO MUCH AGREEMENT ABOUT THAT. THAT’S REALLY BEAUTIFUL. I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT THAT WE CAN PUT DOWN ON PAPER WHAT WE BELIEVE IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES. AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE’S SOMETHING TO THAT. SO I LOVE THAT YOU GIVE ME GOOSEBUMPS THINKING ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. WE WANT TO SAY, KEEP IT UP. AND HOW DO WE ALL GET INVOLVED HERE? JULIA. YEAH, WELL, VISIT US AT PAGE 15.ORG SLASH. YOU CAN RESERVE A FREE SEAT FOR OUR POP UP POETRY EVENT THIS THURSDAY, SPONSORED BY INTERSECT. IT’S JUST A WONDERFUL EVENT. WE’D LOVE TO SEE YOU. YEAH, AND WE’RE GOING TO POST A LINK. WE’RE GOING TO MAKE IT SUPER
Page 15 to host 5th Annual Pop-Up Poetry March 12 in Orlando
Families, educators and community members are invited to experience the power of words at the luncheon and showcase celebrating inspiring young voices in Central Florida
Updated: 9:35 AM EDT Mar 9, 2026
Page 15 is inviting the community to its 5th annual Pop-Up Poetry event on Thursday, March 12 at The Monroe in Orlando.Guests are invited to experience the power of words at the luncheon and showcase celebrating the inspiring young voices of Central Florida.Founder and executive director of Page 15, Julia Young, and City of Orlando poet laureate Camara Gaither join WESH 2 to preview the event. Young, a former WESH 2 Community Champion, launched Page 15 in 2008 as a creative writing and empowerment nonprofit for young people. The team works to advance literacy, coach hundreds of writers every year and help them build confidence to share their stories.Gaither is also pre-licensed mental health therapist, mother and wife, whose love for poetry was sparked at an early age. Page 15 is based at the Downtown Recreation Center in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood.The Pop-Up Poetry event is presented by Interstruct Design + Build and supported by Ustler Development.Tickets are free, but space is limited.Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The Monroe | 448 N Terry Ave, Orlando, FL 32801Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Page 15 is inviting the community to its 5th annual Pop-Up Poetry event on Thursday, March 12 at The Monroe in Orlando.
Guests are invited to experience the power of words at the luncheon and showcase celebrating the inspiring young voices of Central Florida.
Founder and executive director of Page 15, Julia Young, and City of Orlando poet laureate Camara Gaither join WESH 2 to preview the event.
Young, a former WESH 2 Community Champion, launched Page 15 in 2008 as a creative writing and empowerment nonprofit for young people.
The team works to advance literacy, coach hundreds of writers every year and help them build confidence to share their stories.
Gaither is also pre-licensed mental health therapist, mother and wife, whose love for poetry was sparked at an early age.
Page 15 is based at the Downtown Recreation Center in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood.
The Pop-Up Poetry event is presented by Interstruct Design + Build and supported by Ustler Development.
Tickets are free, but space is limited.
Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Monroe | 448 N Terry Ave, Orlando, FL 32801