Empathy in Action: Student Voices Take the Mic
This spring, Lake Erie Ink partnered with three Cleveland high schools—East Tech, John Adams, and Collinwood—for a powerful series of creative writing residencies. With support from the Bruening Foundation and other generous funders, students explored identity, empathy, and self-expression through poetry and personal storytelling.
From writing to understand themselves to sharing to be understood, students found their voices—and the courage to use them.
“Once you write a poem, you are already a poet.”
“Writing helps me organize my thoughts.”
“It helps others understand me, and me understand myself.”
Each residency created space for reflection, community, and growth. The result? Honest, heartfelt, and deeply moving work.
Explore the students’ writing and learn more about the residencies here:
Visit the webpage
Thank you to the Bruening Foundation, Today Matters Fund, Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture for making this possible.
