Transform Your School Culture Through Extended Poetry Residencies

14 Days of Intensive Engagement | Daily Student Sessions | Lasting Cultural Impact

This isn’t a workshop. This is a cultural shift. When students see Ahmed every day for two weeks, they don’t just learn poetry—they discover their voice, build confidence, and transform how they see themselves and their community.

What is a Residency?

A residency is a 14-day intensive program where Ahmed works embedded within your school community, delivering daily poetry sessions to students across multiple grade levels.

Unlike a workshop where students see Ahmed once or twice, residency students work with him every single day for two weeks. This daily repetition creates relationship and trust, incremental skill-building, internalized learning, confidence through repetition, and cultural shift.

A workshop introduces. A residency transforms.

Ahmed Knowmadic Ali

The 14-Day Structure

Week 1: Foundation and Exploration

Days 1-2: Introduction and Trust-Building
Ahmed introduces himself and the Knowmadic philosophy. Students explore what poetry is and what it can do. Initial I Am poems or sensory writing exercises.

Days 3-5: Skill Development and Creation
Intensive work on core workshop content. Students draft original poems using structured frameworks with small-group peer feedback and revision.

Days 6-7: Refinement and Rehearsal
Students finalize poems through revision. Introduction to performance techniques. Rehearsal for Poetry Café.

Week 2: Mastery and Performance

Days 8-10: Advanced Creation
Introduction to new poetry forms. Cross-grade collaboration. Creation of collective poems.

Days 11-13: Performance Preparation
Intensive Poetry Café rehearsals. Students practice performing in front of peers. Final revisions and coaching.

Day 14: Poetry Café Culminating Event
THE BIG DAY: Family and community attend the Poetry Café. Students perform original poetry on stage. Ahmed emcees and performs feature set.

Whats Included

• Daily 45-60 minute sessions with each participating class
• Individualized coaching and feedback for every student
• Performance technique instruction
• Pre-residency planning consultation
• Teacher professional development session
• Post-residency lesson plans and materials
• Poetry Café culminating event
• Comprehensive analytics report

Case Study: Belvedere Elementary 2025

• 297 students engaged (Grades K-6)
• 70 teaching sessions delivered
• 47.3 program hours
• 1,168.8 student-hours of instruction
• 200+ family members attended Poetry Café

Ahmeds residency transformed our school. Students who never spoke in class were performing original poetry on stage. Parents were in tears. This wasnt just a program—it was a cultural shift.

Principal, Belvedere Elementary School

My son has always struggled with writing. After Ahmeds residency, he came home excited to show us his I Am poem. At the Poetry Café, we were in tears seeing him perform with such confidence.

Parent, Belvedere Elementary

Pricing and Booking

Standard 14-Day Residency: $8,000-$15,000 (varies by school size)
Booking Lead Time: 6-12 months (book early!)
Popular Months: October-November, February-April

Book a School Residency