Speak Up: Creative Writing + Performance (Spring 2026)
Saturdays, January 31-March 14, 2026
3 p.m.-4 p.m. EST
Join us online for Speak Up, a teen creative writing program supporting the artistic and professional growth of teens.
In this FREE virtual creative writing workshop mini-series, teens will partner with experienced teaching artists to empower the creative writing process, from drafting to performance to publishing, to boost literacy and empower youth in Miami through community-based writing activities.
The program is open to all teens (ages 13-19) and is as free of charge as it is free of homework. No previous experience necessary!
February 21: Wish You Were Aquí: Postcard Poetry Across Languages
Instructor: JV Portela
Wish You Were Aquí: Postcard Poetry Across Languages is an interactive creative writing and visual art workshop where participants create an original illustrated postcard addressed to the students of local AP Spanish Language classrooms. Using accessible, guided prompts, participants will draft a short poem that includes Spanish while remaining welcoming to writers of all language backgrounds. The emphasis is on voice, place, and sensory detail, with simple scaffolds that allow non-Spanish speakers to participate confidently without needing prior Spanish proficiency. The workshop concludes with a share out and the collection of completed postcards for classroom exchange, transforming each participant’s work into a real message received by a real student and demonstrating how language, art, and imagination can travel further than fluency alone.
JV Portela is a bilingual writer, translator, and educator with 15+ years of experience in education, literary editing, and cultural programming. An educator in the fields of Spanish Literature and Language, English Literature, and Human Geography, he has taught at the University of Miami, Florida International University, and community arts organizations, and he now serves as the World Languages Department and College Advancement Lead at a local school in Broward County. His work bridges literary craft, civic imagination, and classroom practice, often centering Cuban and Latin American literature, translation, and the relationship between art and public life. He has contributed to institutions including the Miami Book Fair, O, Miami Poetry Festival, and HistoryMiami Museum. Recognized as 2025 Teacher of the Year and 2026 Highly Innovative Teacher by the Broward Education Foundation, he designs arts integrated programs that help students write with precision, courage, and style, including his postcard exchange project Wish You Were Aquí.
