Targeting Black, Brown, and Indigenous youth, of which Pittsburg High School is 95% comprised, our organization’s year-long project is structured around 6 key programs. The Prodigies Workshop Series provides a twice-weekly after-school space for high school students to write and build community, with stipends offered for consistent attendance. These workshops are developed and led by program alumni through the IMS Teaching Artist Residency, a paid program that empowers alumni to mentor the next generation of youth artists in Pittsburg. This local programming is supplemented by the free IMS Monthly Cypher program that provide consistent, safe performance opportunities, culminating in two large-scale annual events: the competitive “Prodigies Grand Slam” and the celebratory “Prodigies Showcase.”

Serving as a final programmatic capstone, IMS has been sending youth across the country to showcase their talents and to represent our community internationally. IMS and its competitive youth poetry team the Pittsburg Prodigies have made back-to-back appearances in 2024 and 2025 at the biggest youth poetry festival in the world, Brave New Voices establishing themselves as one of the top 15 teams in the country. As the smallest and most diverse city represented, we have brought international recognition to our community through the artistry of our youth.