Mission Statement:
The Fountain City Slam creates safe spaces to engage the next generation of leaders in the power of reading and writing. By fostering an environment that promotes creative healing, social-emotional skills, and positive behaviors, we challenge young creatives to find, develop, publicly present, and apply their voices as creators of social change. Ultimately, we hope to create a movement of young artists that leverage their talents to positively impact their community.
ABOUT
The Fountain City Teen Poetry Slam, Inc. is an unprecedented non-profit organization born in the Columbus, Georgia area in 2011. Founded on ideals of youth empowerment, creative expression, and community building, we pride ourselves on our educational and inspirational effect on local youth and families. From sponsoring workshops at local theatres to fostering groundbreaking writing workshops at middle and high schools to competing at international poetry festivals, the Fountain City Slam stops at nothing to enrich the next generation and empower them to change their world, one word at a time.
Artist and performer Jonathan S. E. Perkins founded the Fountain City Slam in 2011 and never looked back. Poet, actor, comedian, playwright, and much more, Jonathan himself hails from Columbus. After graduating from Georgia Southern University, he went on to become a nationally acclaimed poet ranking among the top in the world. His poetry has been featured on the digital platforms of Write About Now, The Root, and All Def Poetry. Jonathan was a 2018 runner-up in The Missouri Review's Miller Audio Prize for Humor. He was also a 2018 recipient of The Columbus & The Valley Magazine's "5 under 40" award. Besides founding the Fountain City Slam, he has personally organized its activities and has proudly mentored many of its alums into prosperous professional careers.
