Ahmed Knowmadic Ali

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Ahmed Knowmadic Ali leading a workshop at the Surrey youth forum

Workshops

Five doors into the poem. Pick one and walk through.

One visit or several days, tied to your curriculum. Students write, revise and perform, and find out how smart their own language already is.

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Surrey youth forum workshop

Five workshops

Pick a starting point.

Identity Builder

Grades 4–12. Students write who they are, and who they’re not.

Open workshop

School Senses Builder

Grades 3–9. Students turn familiar parts of the school into sensory poems.

Open workshop

Blueprint of Me

Grades 4–12. Students build a poem about themselves around one big image.

Open workshop

Becoming

Grades 5–12. Students write to the person they’re becoming.

Open workshop

School Community Builder

Grades K–6. The school comes alive, and the students’ lines become one poem.

Open workshop

For teachers

Useful before and after I visit.

Each workshop can stand alone, fit into a unit you’re teaching, or become part of a longer residency. Students leave with real writing, and teachers keep a frame they can use again.

  • Grade-aware prompts and facilitation
  • Flexible single-class, multi-class, assembly, or residency formats
  • Optional performance, revision, and showcase components
  • Public sharing only when appropriate for the group

Outcomes

What students leave with.

Original writing

Students produce drafts that can be revised, shared, displayed, or developed into performance pieces.

Stronger language

I push for concrete images, metaphor, structure, revision and voice, not general self-expression.

Confidence

Performance is treated as communication. Students practice being heard with clarity and care.

Something to keep

Teachers can extend the frameworks into writing, speaking, reflection, health, social studies, or arts outcomes.

What a teacher said

Ahmed Knowmadic has the rare ability to inspire students! For the past three years, Ahmed has come to Jasper Place High School to conduct poetry workshops for my students with amazing results; without exception, students felt empowered enough to share their poetry with their peers!

Clark Kerby, Teacher, Jasper Place High School (Edmonton Public Schools), 2017

Booking

Book a workshop.

Send the grade range, number of classes, preferred dates, location, and whether you want a single visit or multi-day plan.

Start a booking enquiry
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