This was the 9th year for In Our Own Words, a youth outreach program sponsored by The Writers Place to provide writing and publishing opportunities for young people in grades 7-12 who are underserved. TWP sent teachers into the schools to provide lessons to over 500 students in 7 schools.  The teachers chose the best student poems for an anthology, and each student and school received a copy. The first week in March, TWP held a writing conference and reading by these students with area writers presenting workshops.  The students read their work for parents, teachers, and the public at The Plaza Library.  Copies of this student anthology are available at TWP. The voices in this book are powerful and heard only because of this program by TWP.