InsideOut wins Sun Life Rising Star Award for 2nd Year in a Row

on Oct 24 in Slider, Uncategorized by

Pictured from left to right: Kaitlin Jaquez (SL), Priscilla Santana (SL), Aricka Foreman (IO), Lori Volante (IO), Terry Blackhawk (IO), Joseph Verge, Bobbie Fisher (Joseph’s mother), and Robert Merrell (SL). Photo credit: Andrew Potter / Courtesy of Sun Life Financial

InsideOut Literary Arts Project is proud to be one of three Detroit non-profits to receive $50,000 in grants through the Sun Life Financial Inc. Rising Star awards program, and the only Detroit group to win the award two years in a row.  As part of the award, Citywide Poet Joseph Verge, was surprised with a $5,000 Rising Star scholarship check presentation on October 13th at his high school — Arts Academy in the Woods.

Joseph has participated with IO since 2008 when he joined the Summer Literary Arts Movement. He then became the youngest member of IO’s after school poetry program Citywide Poets. Joseph has performed his poems for many audiences, including WSU’s annual MLK Day Tribute Luncheon at Orchestra Hall (in 2010 and 2011) and at the San Francisco Opera House in July 2011 as member of IO’s triumphant Brave New Voice Youth Poetry Slam team which won 4th place from over 750 youth and 50 teams from across the US and around the world. IO selected Joseph to attend a special invitational poetry workshop for youth at the White House in May 2011, where his performance of his poem “Three-Two-One-POW!” was live streamed across the nation.

On October 15, Joseph and guests also enjoyed a VIP pre-show reception and tickets to the latest production by Cirque du Soleil. Sun Life Financial is an Official Sponsor of the 2011 Cirque du Soleil Big Top and Arena Touring Shows, as well as the U.S. leg of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour.

Photo Credit: Sun Life Financial Inc.

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