During the 2025–2026 school year, Minnesota students created thousands of poems, stories, songs, and Spoken-Word pieces with guidance from COMPAS Teaching Artists.
Each residency week, standout works were selected for this anthology. The students featured in Us Kids (We Know More Than They Think) turned sparks of ideas into powerful expressions of creativity.
Today you will hear some of this work in the students’ own voices.
2025–2026 Student Authors—listed in reading order
Stella Owen: Us Kids, Sanford Middle School
Price Miller: What Have We Come to?, Valley View Middle School
Malena Rupp: Why Do I Read, Highland Park Middle School
Otis Ashwood: Origami, St. Paul Academy – Lower School
Maija Kain-Malmberg: To the Future Kids of America, Highland Park Middle School
Kian El Sawaf: Peace Is Super Special, Meadowbrook Elementary
Lisbet Carlson: Small Box, Sanford Middle School
L. N.: Dear You, Creative Arts Secondary School
Zach Walz: Time, Tri-County Secondary School
Hazel Rae: Kids, Sanford Middle School
M. J.: Canoeing With Heaton, Roseau Secondary
Mrs. Gupton’s Class: Gratitude, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
Jack(ie) Rosbolt: Under the Lone Tree, Sanford Middle School
G.: Untitled, Community of Peace Academy
Ahlam Mohamed: Fall Patterns, Sanford Middle School
Rhianna Levy: (Anxiety), East Ridge High School
Walter Reisdorf: Love Is Beauty, Bailey Elementary School
June Beier: Peace Is, Meadowbrook Elementary
Z. W.: Suicide, Community of Peace Academy
Emery Phillips: The Performance of Imperfection, Valley View Middle School
Le-ticia Greaves: My Generation Can Change…Right?, Brooklyn Middle STEAM School
Zia Troutman: Art, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Martina Gomez Arango: When I Open My Eyes…, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Harper Braun: Vikings, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
Ellie Halverson: The Deep Sea, Red Lake County Central High School
M. B.: Peace–I Am a Bird Pushing the Wind, Meadowbrook Elementary
Louisa Winscher: The Night Is Awakening, Gleason Lake Elementary
Piper Coleman: Adjectives, Highland Park Middle School
Adela Schmidt: Untitled, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
E. W.: Uncomfortable, Washburn High School
Knox Fredrickson: Dear Father, Avalon School
Mr. Siepel’s Class: Different Talents, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
Gilma Winanz: Would You Come Home, Fridley Middle School
Roman Krzmarzick: Today I Am a Firefly, Gleason Lake Elementary
Mr. Terrones’ Class: Space Is the Place, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Maya Harris: She Is Dominant, Sanford Middle School
Francis Sowins: Are We Surprised, Justice Page Middle School
Andrew Kjer-Lackey: Genetics Ate My Homework, Sanford Middle School
Giovanni Smith: The Adventure in the Jungle, Bailey Elementary School
Hazel Kraft: Green, Gleason Lake Elementary
Damian Williamson: Painting Patience, Sanford Middle School
J. O.: Untitled, Red Lake County Central High School
Alex Hurkes: The Night Is an Owl, Gleason Lake Elementary
Louise Wallraff: Untitled, Highland Park Middle School
Vincent Grimstad: Things I See, Bailey Elementary School
B. A.: First Light, First Cast, Roseau Secondary
Ruby Aligada: Gone, Highland Park Middle School
D. O.: A Little About Me, Roseau Secondary
Skylar Schwartz: My Father, The Storyteller, Creative Arts Secondary School
C. M.: Why I Love Hunting and Fishing, Roseau Secondary
Frances Roesner: Speeding Through, Sanford Middle School
Kingston Davis: When I Think About My Grandmother, MTS Secondary
Eleanor Lee: Stephanie, St. Paul Academy – Lower School
Emerson Hudson: I Didn’t Think It’d Bother Me, Valley View Middle School
River Downes: 250 Years Ago, Sanford Middle School
Sam Levin: The Man I See in Me, Sanford Middle School
Jude Huffman: Memories, Justice Page Middle School
C.: Untitled, Community of Peace Academy
Elena Yang: Why Now, Highland Park Middle School
Theresa Gannon: Groundhog Day, MTS Secondary
Henry Faschingbauer: Festivities, Hillcrest Community School
Lucy Laufenberg: If You Were Human, Highland Park Middle School
S. F.: Summer, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
Rosemary Rischall: Mauve, St. Paul Academy – Lower School
Beatris Brooks: One After Another, Valley View Middle School
Grace Otto: Dad, St. Paul Academy – Lower School
Marlene Lyon: Two Voices, Valley View Middle School
Dakota Henderson: Eldest Daughter, Hillcrest Community School
Lacey Hudspeth: Let Children Grow, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
Briah Burrows: Hold On, Meadowbrook Elementary
S. V.: Racism Is Unfair, Community of Peace Academy
Gabriel Guida: Animal Poem, Bailey Elementary School
Jaden Ingram: Always Believe in Yourself, Hillcrest Community School
Wren Watland: My Life Started Late, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Mr. Winkels’ Class: Obstacle, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
Angela Chen: Who Am I?, Valley View Middle School
Charlotte Schaffer: Life Is, Hillcrest Community School
Penelope Turner: Dear Penelope’s Skin Cells, Highland Park Middle School
Aurora Hettinger: Difficulties, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
Eleanor Hable: I Am OCD, Bailey Elementary School
Collaboration Grades 4/5 Grimes & Gordon: Call Me Back, MTS Elementary
Ryan “Ben” Backman: Trees, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Abdi Mahamoud: Untitled, Banaadir Academy
S. Y.: Where I’m From, Creative Arts Secondary School
Chloe Yang: The Now and Future of Us, Brooklyn Middle STEAM School
Nelson Ridore: Roar of a Lion, Bailey Elementary School
Collaboration Grades 2/3 Gerzin & Merrell: No More Dynamite I Want Flowers, MTS Elementary
Nimco Farah: Untitled, Banaadir Academy
Jiya Mulpuru: Midnight Blue, St. Paul Academy – Lower School
J. M.: In My Community I See, Roseau Secondary
Y. : Fear of Immigrants, Community of Peace Academy
Cece Spessard: The Night, Gleason Lake Elementary
Eva Hanson: Hidden Trees, Tri-County Secondary School
Hattie Bauer: That’s My Dog, Hillcrest Community School
Mr. Crosby’s Class: Antarctica, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Lucas Reis: In My World, I See War, Sanford Middle School
Ms. Austin’s Class: Paws On the Ground, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Drew Ward: Chicken Wings, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Olive Jasiczek: Being Mixed in a World Like This, Sanford Middle School
Idris Baxamusa: Don’t We Live in the Same World, Valley View Middle School
M. E.: Canoeing With Kynslee, Roseau Secondary
Olive J. Lovato: If I Was A Little Blue Penguin, Bailey Elementary School
Parla Ozutemiz: Kindness Pancake, Bailey Elementary School
Esme Lindsley: Untitled, St. Anthony Park Elementary School
Cecelia Rapson: Flowers, Sanford Middle School
Olivia Olson: In This Tiny World, Bailey Elementary School
Hazel Robertson: What a Wonderful World, Highland Park Middle School
K.: Wonders of the Night, Red Lake County Central High School
Class Collaboration 6th Grade Taylor: Ocean Love, MTS Elementary
Emilio McHugh Vélez: Peace Is an African Baobab Tree, Meadowbrook Elementary
Mr. Siepel’s Class: Thankfulness, Le Sueur-Henderson Elementary School
