Carol Muske-Dukes

Carol Muske-Dukes, poet laureate of California, chaired a panel titled "Making Words Matter." She has taught poetry to women in prison and as poet laureate has launched Magic Poetry Bus, a traveling literacy and performance program.

Panelists were

1) Keren Taylor, founder of Write Girl, pairing at-risk girls 13-18 with writers to mentor them. 100% of the girls go on to finish high school and start college.

2) Joel Arquillos, director of 826 LA, an after-school tutoring, reading and writing program helping students to take home a published book within two hours.

3) Diane Luby Lane, founder of Get Lit, a teen literacy program in which students write and perform poetry.