New York, NY – With nothing but a mic and their powerful voices, over 500 of New York City’s hottest teen spoken word poets will rant, rap and recite their OWN ORIGINAL WORK over 10 nights in February/March for an opportunity to compete at the 10th Annual Urban Word NYC Teen Poetry Slam Finals on March 1^st at Washington Irving High School, in front of 1,500 fans and supporters. Hip-Hop Legend, Afrika Bambaataa, will be honored alongside MC K~Swift and Tahani Salah. Def Poets and other surprise guests are expected, along with beats by DJ Reborn.

10^th Annual Urban Word NYC Grand Slam Final:

Saturday March 1^st 7PM @ Washington Irving High School (40 Irving Place)

Honorees: Afrika Bambaataa, MC K~Swift & Tahani Salah, DJ Reborn

Tickets available at www.urbanwordnyc.org or 212-352-3495 and at door.

Urban Word NYC is proud to host our first annual College Expo at Madison Square Garden.  As part of our Creatively College Bound series, as well as our 4-year partnership with the NY Knicks, we are providing exciting opportunities for the next generation of poets, artists and college bound youth.  Please spread the word widely about this great day of poetry, entertainment, college offerings and job placement opportunities!

Knicks Poetry Slam Series & College Expo
Sunday, December 10, 2006 FREE
Registration for Open Poetry Audition 10am-11am
Enter through Madison Square Garden Box Office

Open Audition: Calling all lyricists and poets between the ages of 13-19!
Prizes for All Participants who enter!
Poets are to present a 1 minute, 30 second poem to advance to the Final Slam.
Advance to Finals for a chance to win:

• Over $10,000 in scholarships, laptops and printers to all winners.
• A Starring role in MSG Network TV Show.
• TOP PRIZE: $5,000 Scholarship + Laptop & Printer

College Expo & Entertainment 11-5PM:
Enter through Madison Square Garden Box Office

Over 20 colleges, universities, and job placement agencies.  Special guest appearances by Stephon Marbury, Power 105.1 DJs, top teen poets, local hip-hop dance groups, live hip-hop acts and guest appearances!

ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST FILL OUT waiver forms on our website: www.urbanwordnyc.org 

KNICKS Intensives
MONDAYS thru THURSDAYS Oct & Nov 4 - 6
In every corner of the city young people will be huddled over pen and paper in Urban Word creative writing workshops. In every borough they will score ten, twenty, thirty points at a time as their thoughts enter cleanly into the rims of their newest poem. Participants from each of the 8 sites will receive KNICKS goody bags, tickets to a KNICKS game at Madison Square Garden, and an advantage over the hundreds of others who’ll attend the casting call for the best young poets to be filmed in the pilot for a new teen poetry television show.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HIGH SCHOOL MONDAYS 4-6PM
122 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023 (near 65th Street)
Take the 1 train to 66th Street – Lincoln Center
*Oct (Tues 3, 10), Mondays Oct 16 – November 20th

WASHINGTON IRVING HIGH SCHOOL TUESDAYS 3:30-5:30PM
40 Irving Place, New York, NY 10001
(near E. 17th Street, east of Union Sq.)
Take N/R/Q/W, 4/5/6 or L to 14th St. Union Square
*October 3rd – November 21st

PAUL ROBESON H.S. IN BROOKLYN TUESDAYS 4-6PM
150 Albany Avenue (between Dean and Bergen)
C (best) to Kingston Throop ( walk up Fulton to Albany, turn right;) 3 train to Kingston and Eastern Parkway
*October 3rd – November 21st

BRONX RIVER ARTS CENTER THURSDAYS 4-6PM
1087 E. Tremont Ave. (near Boston Road)
Take 2/5 Trains to West Farms/ East Tremont
*October 5th – November 30th (off on Nov. 23rd)

SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE TUESDAYS 4-6PM
127 E 22nd St., New York, NY 10010
Take the 6 train to 23rd Street (Park Ave. South) or the N/R trains to 23rd St. (B’way)
*October 3rd – November 21st

BED-STUY’S Project Re-Generation THURSDAYS 4:30-6:30 PM
677 Lafayette St., Brooklyn, NY 11216
*October 5th – November 30th (off on Nov. 23rd)
G train to Bedford-Nostrand. Exit on Lafayette Ave. and walk east. The building is across the street from Tompkins Park.

YORK COLLEGE IN QUEENS FRIDAYS 5-7PM
2B04 Main Building Liberty Avenue (2nd Fl.)
*October 6th – December 1st (off on Nov. 24th)
Take the E, J/Z trains to Jamaica Center – Parsons Blvd. Start out going east on Archer Ave. toward 160th St. Turn right onto Guy R. Brewer Blvd.

FULD CENTER NEW JERSEY THURSDAY
165 Court Street – Newark, NY 07103
October 5th – November 30th off on Nov. 23rd

To sign up for any workshop or to ask questions email signup@urbanwordnyc.org or call 212-352-3495. For more events visit http://urbanwordnyc.org/calendar.html