TAPCo's Creative Soul

As part of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) event this year, the ninth grade students at the Theatre Arts Production Company School (TAPCo), a public high school in the Bronx, were asked to identify some of the problems their communities face on a daily basis. In our English classes, they were engaged in timely and relevant readings, discussions, and questioning activities about how we CARE for ourselves and each other. To that end, they identified and discussed overarching issues such as poverty, hunger, violence, homelessness, and racism, among others. They further explored these issues in their own writings by responding to the following essential questions: How do we care for ourselves and for each other? Who do you know that demonstrates caring qualities? What do these qualities look like? How do we overcome challenging or difficult situations? How does dealing with struggles help us succeed? The selection of biographies, interviews, monologues, poems, and short stories, included in this anthology reflect our students' personal responses to the issues they have identified. We hope you enjoy reading TAPCo's Creative Soul. Ms. Elise Trudel and Ms. Amy Silva Teachers