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Words on the Street 2012 hosts a red carpet book premiere at Prince Music Theater. Join Solomon Jones and celebrity guests for food, fun, film and more. Click for tickets.

Words on the Street was featured on Fox 29. Solomon was interviewed by anchor Joyce Evans. Click the picture to watch.

Words on the Street was featured on Fox 29. Watch the in-depth interview, which lays out the literacy challenges faced by Philadelphia and other large school districts, how literacy and the drop-out rate are linked, and how Words on the Street is addressing the problem.

Words on the Street is featured on KYW Newsradio. Click the picture to read the story transcript.

Words on the Street has twice been featured on Philadelphia CBS radio affiliate KYW Newsradio. Click to read a story transcript.

Solomon Jones teaches a Words on the Street workshop at the School District of Philadelphia’s Parent University.

Words on the Street is able to effectively reach parents through its partnership with Parent University, a national model whose primary goal is to provide parents with evidence-based knowledge, skills and resources to support their children’s education and increase student achievement. Each participating parent received a free book and two free writing workshops with Solomon Jones. Click the link below to watch a video of instructor Solomon Jones teaching a Words on the Street workshop with Philadelphia School District parents.

Watch the video now.

Words on the Street is a good fit for Parent University, an entity whose goals align with the vision of the Words on the Street program. Through the Words on the Street workshops, parents were able to receive the supports that allowed them to meet the goals set out by Parent University. In addition to delivering evidence-based knowledge, skills and resources to support their children’s education, Words on the Street also helped parents to reach Parent University’s other goals, which include:

• Supporting parents in navigating the education process to build parental efficacy;
• Empowering parents through education to support and strengthen families;
• Improving opportunities for parents to collaborate with schools and the District;
• Providing opportunities and support for parents to achieve their personal academic and non-academic goals.

In classes that were representative of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Philadelphia School District, instructor Solomon Jones delivered universal lessons to strengthen parents’ writing skills, and equip parents with the knowledge to help their children with their own reading, writing and comprehension.

Words on the Street is also seeking to partner with other organizations which operate according to the Parent University model. Click here to inquire about bringing Words on the Street workshops to your area.

Words on the Street winner Brittany Spicer takes a bow at The Gravedigger’s Ball book launch event.

Words on the Street winner Brittany Spicer, who graduated from Mastery Charter/Shoemaker Campus in 2012, and is now studying writing at Susquehanna University, recorded a radio commercial for the Words on the Street program in May. Spicer, who participated in the Words on the Street program in each of its first two years, had her story published in the Philadelphia Daily News. Click the link below to listen to the commercial now.

Words on the Street Commercial

Pictured left to right, Loraine Ballard Morrill, Anibal Velez, Brittany Spicer, Ahkeel Timothy, Chaya Cleveland and Solomon Jones.

Four Words on the Street winners were interviewed by Clear Channel News and Public Affairs Director Loraine Ballard Morrill at the Bala Cynwyd studios of Power 99 FM. They were: Anibal Velez of Fels High School,  Ahkeel Timothy of Mastery Charter/Shoemaker Campus, Brittany Spicer of Mastery Charter/Shoemaker Campus, and Chaya Cleveland of Randolph High School.

Brittany Spicer and Ahkeel Timothy share a laugh during their radio interview at Power 99 FM.

Each student read from his or her story and talked about their experience in the Words on the Street program. Student interviews are an important element of Words on the Street. The media attention acts as an incentive for students to put forth their best effort in writing their stories.Students meet and talk with real radio personalities as a result of the hard work that allowed them to win the writing competition, thus reinforcing that excelling academically is a viable route to success and recognition.

Words on the Street is currently choosing schools for the 2012 program. In order to be considered for 2012, schools must provide an administrator or teacher to act as a liaison to the program. That liaison will work directly with Solomon Jones to determine the workshop schedule, story deadlines, and winning stories. Schools considering adding the program should contact Solomon Jones at sj@solomonjones.com.