Artist and performer Maya Williams will be leading a writing workshop on mental health awareness and poetry for high school students on Saturday April 11, from 2-4pm at Engine, 163 Main Street. The workshop is free for students to attend. Registration is required at https://www.feedtheengine.org/learn/youth-programs/

The workshop is aimed specifically for youth wanting to learn more about how representation of mental health places its impact in our communities. Williams will introduce poetry, storytelling, writing, and performance to help teens express their own mental health concerns. 

Williams has worked as a teaching artist and educator in a variety of schools and non-profits, and has found that the topic of priority most young people desire to talk about is mental health. This especially goes for young people who don’t have the space to engage in dialogue about mental health, whether its their own or otherwise. 

“As someone who has experience advocating for and coordinating artistic programs for various young communities of in Maine—this includes LGBTQ+ youth, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth, youth of color, survivors of sexual harassment and assault, and immigrants and refugees—I believe I have a lot to offer in this workshop.” –Maya Williams

Williams holds a Master of Social Work (Advanced Standing) and a Certificate in Applied Arts and Social Justice from University of New England. Williams worked with youth-focused organizations such as the Telling Room, Maine Inside Out, and Speak About It, and is a member of Port Veritas, an artist space, all in Portland.