Mission
Words To Power shows youth the power of their words.
What We Do?
Words To Power conducts highly engaging and culturally relevant spoken word poetry workshops for underserved youth in elementary, middle, and high schools in the Denver metro area and throughout Colorado. As an extension of our workshops, we partner with schools to host presentations of youth poetry. We publish a yearly youth-written poetry book and host a community showcase with contributors, offering underserved youth an authentic opportunity for academic excellence, creative expression, and community engagement. We collaboratively organize quarterly, free community open mic events featuring youth who consistently participate in our programs. Our brochure is below.
Who we Serve
Many Indigenous (Native American, Chicana/o, etc) and other underserved youth feel voiceless and disconnected. There are few opportunities for these youth to use creative expression to reflect upon their struggles, find the power of their words, and see themselves as powerful leaders for social change. Therefore, Words To Power focuses our programs in schools with a student population of at least 75% Indigenous (“American Indian” and “Hispanic”).
Logo
The Words To Power logo draws inspiration from many sources. The overall structure is modeled after a corn plant, as our workshop curriculum uses it as a metaphor. The raised fist reminds us of our power to create change, as social justice movements before us have struggled to achieve. The scrolls on either side pull from Indigenous books in Mexico, as symbols of speech (thus the accompanying image from a codex of people talking to each other). Taken together, our words and power come from our roots.
Board of Directors &and Staff
Nancy Palacios is an enthusiastic first generation Mexicana, born and raised in Denver with a passion for uplifting young BIPOC students and families to pave the road to success. As a youth, she was involved in various leadership programs around the metro Denver area such as La Raza Youth Leadership Program, Project VOYCE, Cafe Cultura, and Aquetza. Through the various leadership opportunities, she found her voice and decided to pursue higher education. She obtained her BA in Chicano Studies and Human Services at Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2022.
Currently, Nancy is the Finance Manager at Mijente. She brings additional valuable knowledge centered in holistic Indigenous healing, community care, and transformational leadership.
Gerardo A. Muñoz is a teacher of high school and middle school Social Studies at the Denver Center for International Studies at Baker (DCIS) in the Denver Public Schools (DPS) in Denver, Colorado. He has taught in DPS for over twenty years and has worked in both classroom and leadership capacities. Mr. Muñoz has been involved in a number of programs, initiatives, campaigns, and organizations to promote equity and anti-racism, including EduColor, Choose, the National Education Association’s Racial and Social Justice Conference, and the University of Colorado’s Teachers of Color and Allies Summit. He is the producer and co-host of the national education podcast Too Dope Teachers and a Mic. Muñoz holds A Bachelor of Arts Degree in history and Latin American Studies from the University of Colorado (1999), as well as a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction from the University of Denver (2009).
Alicia Lucero (Nuu-ciu Xicana, She/Her/Hers) has more than 15 years of professional experience in education that includes: developing multi-culturally relevant curriculum; teaching in urban and diverse classrooms; and building community organizing and engagement campaigns, that includes opening seven K12 schools throughout Denver; and most recently, is administering outreach and admissions for the Daniels College of Business as Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions. Alicia is very involved in her Indigenous and Latin@x communities in Denver with her family. She loves hosting and being a part of family and friend events, activities, and is involved with a number of organizations and Boards that administers events, education, and access to resources locally and abroad in rural Mexico. Alicia is currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Denver and hopes to intersect her lived experience as a West Denver native (literally) and K-20 educator within a business framework to help inform decision making among her community’s projects; all of which tend to have a shared goal of providing access to education and health services for all.
Angela Alfaro is an experienced community-minded professional with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit sector. Angela has strong principles rooted in social justice and equity, and holds a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. The former Development Director of Servicios de La Raza, and Colorado Rising/Colorado Rising for Communities, Angela has twelve years of executive level administrative experience in the nonprofit sector; complemented with board and governance experience through her former roles as a board member of Cafe Cultura and Colorado Latino Forum. She has also worked with Re:Vision in Westwood as a contract grant writer, where she was instrumental in procuring funds that propelled the organization forward in creating and sustaining a community-owned food system and economy. Understanding systems of inequity through an intersectional lens, Angela remains committed to making progressive strides in the varied areas that disproportionately impact people of color and the working class. She is a strong supporter of the arts, specifically the performing arts and the beauty of expression.
José Palacios has been actively engaged in community work through different programs and efforts since 2013. This included involving himself and his family in Café Cultura first as a youth, then during his undergrad years.
José currently works with schools in the greater Denver Metro area, facilitating culturally focused programming for youth, fathers, and parents. He also supports youth who are at-risk of gang involvement or are presently active in gangs.
José has a degree in Human Services and Chicano Studies from Metropolitan State University of Denver (2019).
Born and raised in Denver, Ara Cruz is an award-winning poet, educator, and founder of Words To Power. Graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.A. in Ethnic Studies (emphasis in Chicana/o and American Indian Studies), he used the experience he gained in campus/community organizing and hosting open mic events to start and build Café Cultura (for 14 years). He also worked full-time as a Social Studies, Humanities, and English teacher in Denver Public Schools for 4 years. He recently assisted in building the Hidden Lake Boys & Girls Club in Westminster, as its first Program Manager (3.5 years). For almost 20 years, Ara has presented hundreds of spoken word poetry workshops for thousands of youth. He has received a Mile High Teacher Award, Cesar Chavez Leadership Award, Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Award while being named a My Brother’s Keeper Honoree and Bonfils Stanton Foundation Livingston Fellow. He completed the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture Leadership Institute and Denver Foundation’s Executive Directors of Color Institute. Ara earned a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University.