Throughout the past decade, CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth has written the book on supporting the city’s budding storytellers.
Part publication, part literary arts program, the organization connects students with writing and reporting opportunities both in school and through field trips and workshops. So far, the efforts have materialized in the pages of 30 different magazines, where more than 1,200 students have seen their poetry and writing in print.
Founder, and former teacher, Whitney Birenbaum says providing these opportunities for students to get published is what it’s all about.
“The things that I loved the most about teaching were having my students create products that had real audiences and served a real purpose in the community, and the world,” Birenbaum says. “In 2014, with a group of five other teachers across the city, and our students, we decided we wanted to create a magazine that could be a platform for our students to make their voices heard.”
CHARM, the org’s flagship literary magazine, has weathered everything from changing political climates to COVID-19, but continues to feature writing, artwork, and production by local middle and high school editors. The program has grown to include digital publications, as well as five school-based literary magazine clubs, providing students with more than $112,000 in financial support and over 50 different internships at 12 publications across the city.
“We’ve grown from being a volunteer literary magazine after-school program to becoming a year-round organization,” Birenbaum explains.
To celebrate all of its success, CHARM is hosting a 10th Birthday Bash at its brand-new workshop space at Baltimore Unity Hall in Bolton Hill on April 26 from 6-9 p.m. The event will include live readings and works from students, as well as interactive stations for attendees to try their own hand at writing poetry or creating artwork.
Birenbaum’s hope is for the party to pay tribute to all who have played a role in the group’s growth. That includes its vast network of collaborators that offer students real-world experience reporting on different topics. From food writing workshops with Ekiben and Blacksauce Kitchen to poetry events with photos from the James Webb telescope during its development in Baltimore in 2021, she says that the organization tries to look for opportunities at every turn.
“It’s really making sure that we are listening to young people,” Birenbaum says. “They are really at the forefront of any program decisions that we make. Keeping true to that North Star, centering students and youth voice, is critical to what we do.”
To commemorate the milestone anniversary, the birthday party will encourage attendees to flip through past editions of the literary magazine to get a sense of the variety of coverage.
“[It’s a chance to] see what young people have been thinking about,” Birenbaum says. “Whether it’s Freddie Gray’s death and the Baltimore Uprising, or the pandemic and school closures.”
As they reflect on 10 years, organizers are also looking to the future. The hope is to grow their reach in an effort to improve, not only the writing skills, but the overall wellbeing of Baltimore students. By 2028, CHARM wants to have partnered with 20 percent of Baltimore secondary schools, publishing 22 different school magazines and 600 students’ writing and artwork annually.
“Most Baltimore schools don’t have literary magazines or school newspapers, and we think it’s what young people want and deserve, so that’s what motivates us,” Birenbaum says. “And just in terms of the numbers, the interest is there. Our hope is that every student could have this opportunity in their school if they wanted.”