Students make their mark with 'Rain Poetry' hidden in Philly parks

Saturday, June 17, 2023
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Among the unique projects created by PA Humanities, 'Rain Poetry' is now popping up in parks across Philadelphia.

11-year-old Coraline Owili-Eger and her classmates at Emlen Elementary were among the first to make their mark.
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"It started off at school when we were instructed to write haikus," she said. "And they were installed on the ground in Vernon Park."

At Vernon Park in Germantown, five colorful poems can be seen at all times. What's peculiar is that there are five more hidden poems that can only be activated by water.

"The thing that all the kids wrote poems on is, 'What makes you grow?'" said Dawn Frisby Byers, Senior Director of Content and Engagement with PA Humanities. "And we all know that water makes us grow."

Last week, poems were installed in Carroll Park in West Philadelphia. More will next be installed in Kensington and other parts of North and South Philadelphia over the summer.



At the end of the project, there will be five locations throughout the city where Rain Poetry can be discovered.
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"This project started in Philadelphia, but it also will be replicated in Pittsburgh," said Frisby Byers. "And we hope for other cities across the state."

This Father's Day weekend, watch our video above to see how Owili-Eger was inspired by her own dad to do much more than just writing!

To learn more about PA Humanities, visit their website.

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