Acclaimed Poet Partners With LHS Career Academy

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by Lawrence Township Public Schools.

To kick off the opening of the Career Academies at Lawrence High School (LHS) this school year, the Academy of Arts and Humanities is hosting Lamont Dixon, an acclaimed poetic and spoken word artist, in an Artist-in-Residence program.

Dixon, an experienced teaching artist and performance poet, will work with the academy students (juniors and seniors) and faculty from October to January, helping them to hone their talents and to understand, create, and perform original works. In his shows and workshops, he infuses jazz, hip hop, blues, and drama.

During his residency, Dixon will highlight studies already embedded in the curriculum including the Harlem Renaissance and the ideals of Martin Luther King Jr. Lawrence High will join together on Jan. 13, 2012 for a celebration concert as well as the Poetry Out Loud competition, bringing the learning to life.

A native Philadelphian, Dixon trained at Freedom Theatre and the Philadelphia University of the Arts as well as Temple University’s Full Circle Improvisational Troupe. His work has been featured in publications like African Voices, The Phylaxis, and Essence Magazine. He is the recipient of the Phylaxis Society’s Excellence in Literature award as well as the John G. Lewis Medal of Excellence for Art.

The Artist-in-Residence Program is through a partnership between the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and a consortium made up of arts Horizons and Young Audiences New Jersey. This program provides New Jersey schools with long-term artist residencies. The program is made possible through state appropriations to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as well as funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

Still in its infant states, the LHS Academy of Arts and Humanities, led by teacher-leader Jill Vaughn, is a small learning community focusing on literary arts and striving to expose its students to careers and opportunities in areas such as communications, fine and performing arts, government, law, and human services. The Academy boasts its current, standout programs that include music and theater; creative electives in photography, graphic arts, and television production; humanities courses in criminal law and sociology; and its Promising Teachers of Tomorrow program.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the students in the Academy of Arts and Humanities. Working with Mr. Dixon will be an enlightening, fun, and relevant experience,” related Jonathan Dauber, Lawrence High Upper School principal.

LHS houses two other career academies for its 11th- and 12th-grade students: The Academy of Science and Technology and The Academy of Business and International Studies.