What INSIDEOUT LITERARY ARTS PROJECT does

InsideOut Literary Arts is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 by Dr. Terry Blackhawk, a former Detroit Public Schools teacher, that cultivates the literary and academic skills of youth ages 6–19 through transformative creative writing programs. The organization operates a Writer-in-Residence model placing professional poets and teaching artists into approximately 25 metro Detroit elementary, middle, and high schools annually, complemented by the Citywide Poets after-school program serving grades 9–12 with virtual and school-based locations, the Poetry for the People community workshop series, intergenerational programming through partners such as the Hannan Center, and the InsideOut At Home virtual channel. Sub-brands include Citywide Poets, Writer-in-Residence Program, Poetry for the People, and Thriving Together (a three-year environmental justice partnership with the Detroit Zoological Society launched in 2021).

The organization is funded primarily through donations and grants from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors, with no public revenue disclosures. Key institutional funders include the D. Dan & Betty Kahn Foundation, Knight Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the NBA Foundation, and Weikart; a $2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in March 2024 was characterized as transformative. Writer-in-Residence compensation is set at $65 per hour of instruction for Lead Teaching Artists and $30 per hour for Assistants, billed on an academic-year cadence; the Citywide Poets Scholarship provides up to $25,000 per year for four years toward college tuition. The organization produces professionally designed literary journals for nearly 25 schools annually and operates high-profile public events including the Detroit Youth Poetry Slam and Sonnet Slam. There is no proprietary technology stack — InsideOut is a human-capital-intensive service organization whose platform is its network of writers, schools, and community venues.

Distribution is concentrated entirely in metro Detroit through direct school partnerships, after-school sites, and community-organization collaborations with entities such as Wayne State University, the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum, and The Henry Ford. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Suma Karaman Rosen, with Director of School & Community Partnerships Alise Alousi, School Programs Manager Shawntai Brown, Citywide Poets Coordinator Justin Rogers, and a curated bench of Lead Teaching Artists and Writers-in-Residence. The organization has received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the White House (presented by Michelle Obama in 2009), the Coming Up Taller Award (2007), a PBS NewsHour feature, and a Kennedy Center performance, and reports 80,000+ students served since inception.

Name

INSIDEOUT LITERARY ARTS PROJECT

Legal name

InsideOut Literary Arts

Website

https://insideoutdetroit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

InsideOut Literary Arts is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1995, that delivers creative writing instruction to youth ages 6–19 through Writer-in-Residence school placements, the Citywide Poets after-school program, and community workshops across metro Detroit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Literary Arts Education and Creative Writing Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Fine Arts Schools (61161), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAB), Manuscript Development Services (Coaching, Developmental Editing) (MPAJAJAF), Writing Skills & Composition Enrichment (EDAMAJAC)

Keywords

• Youth creative writing
• Writers-in-residence programs
• Literary arts education
• After-school poetry programs
• Nonprofit arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, InsideOut Literary Arts operates primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The organization received a transformative $2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in 2024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

InsideOut Literary Arts Project delivers creative writing instruction and literary arts programming to Detroit youth ages 6-19. Its core services place professional Writers-in-Residence into classrooms, run the Citywide Poets after-school program for grades 9-12, and stage community workshops, installations and performances through Poetry for the People. Programs produce professionally designed student literary journals and culminate in slam and spoken-word performance opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Citywide Poets: Award-winning afterschool program providing teens with a literary community to explore written and spoken word through mentorship, publication, and performance opportunities.
• Writer-in-Residence Program
• Poetry for the People
• Thriving Together

Products and services

• Writer-in-Residence (In the Schools) In-school creative writing residency program that places professional Writers-in-Residence into approximately 25 metro Detroit elementary, middle, and high schools annually, serving grades 2-12 through weekly classroom partnerships with teachers. Some matching grant funds are available to selected schools on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Citywide Poets (After-School Program) Award-winning after-school program with virtual and school-based locations across metro Detroit serving teens in grades 9-12, providing mentorship, publication, and performance opportunities in written and spoken word.
• Poetry for the People (Community Programs) Workshops, installations and performances hosted in neighborhoods across Detroit in partnership with community organizations such as Hannan Center, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, and Brilliant Detroit, designed to demystify poetry and reach new audiences.
• InsideOut At Home Remote/virtual creative writing programming option for students and families who are not reached through in-school or community-based settings.
• Thriving Together Environmental justice and creative writing program developed in partnership with the Detroit Zoological Society in which students learn from conservation and animal care professionals while producing written work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of teachers report greater student engagement with writing and strengthened oral communication skills
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Detroit Zoological SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Thriving Together is a three-year environmental justice and creative writing program led by the Detroit Zoological Society and InsideOut Literary Arts. Students learn from experts in conservation and animal care while professionals learn from students' expertise in self-expression.
• Just Buffalo Literary CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Partnership for trauma-informed training where core staff from InsideOut and Just Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, learned from nationally-recognized facilitators. Training made possible by a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
• Hannan CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoetry workshops for senior citizens at the Hannan Center (Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation), part of the Poetry for the People initiative. Intergenerational programming bringing together teens and seniors.
• Keep Growing DetroitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Poetry for the People programming.
• Detroit Riverfront ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Poetry for the People programming including Sunset Poetry Party on the Detroit Riverfront.
• Detroit Parks CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with InsideOut for poetry celebrating outdoor spaces, including event at Eliza Howell Park.
• Shakespeare in DetroitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Sonnet Slam event celebrating National Poetry Month and Shakespeare's birthday.
• Brilliant DetroitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Poetry for the People programming including poetry slam at the Brilliant Detroit House in Cody/Rouge.
• Alternatives for GirlsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Poetry for the People programming.
• KickstART GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Poetry for the People spot poetry events.
• The Henry FordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue for Mahogany Jones at Apollo exhibit, part of Poetry for the People programming.
• Wayne State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Detroit Youth Poetry Con.
• Detroit Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Poetry Month Kids Program and DPSCD Poetry Month Open Mic.
• Detroit Institute of ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Reimagine poetry showcase.
• The Charles H. Wright MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Detroit Youth Poetry Slam.
• Next Chapter BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Thriving Together Open Mic and Pride + Allies Open Mic.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PEN America: National literary and free-expression organization running youth writing, advocacy, and education programs — adjacent mission (literary voice, youth expression) with overlapping programmatic themes though broader mandate.
• The Poetry Foundation: National literary nonprofit funding poetry education, programming, and publication — operates in the same literary-arts space as InsideOut but with a national scope and grantmaking role rather than direct classroom delivery.

Direct peers

• 826 National: National network of youth writing centers placing professional writers in schools and communities — the closest large-scale analog to InsideOut's Writer-in-Residence and Citywide Poets models, serving similar K-12 audiences with creative writing and publishing programs.
• DreamYard: Bronx-based arts education nonprofit offering in-school and after-school literary and performing arts programs including youth poetry — strong overlap with InsideOut's Citywide Poets and Poetry for the People programming.
• Writers in the Schools (WITS): Houston-based nonprofit that places professional writers in classrooms and runs student publishing programs — directly comparable writers-in-schools operating model, mission, and target audience to InsideOut.
• Community-Word Project: NYC-based nonprofit running in-school creative writing residencies and professional development for teachers; directly comparable in-school writers-in-residence service line to InsideOut's Writer-in-Residence program.
• Urban Word NYC: NYC youth literary arts nonprofit running poetry slams, after-school programs, and student publications — directly comparable after-school poetry and youth-voice mission to InsideOut's Citywide Poets program.
• Just Buffalo Literary Arts Center: Buffalo, NY literary nonprofit delivering in-school creative writing residencies and community programs — directly comparable mission and delivery model (and a documented InsideOut trauma-informed training partner).

Emerging players

• GrubStreet: Boston-based creative writing center offering classes, workshops, and youth programs — comparable mission to develop writers and youth voices, though more tuition-driven and less focused on K-12 in-school delivery.
• Lighthouse Writers Workshop: Denver-based literary arts center running youth writing programs, workshops, and community outreach — directly comparable youth creative writing and publishing mission though smaller and tuition-supported.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/insideout-literary-arts-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INSIDEOUT LITERARY ARTS PROJECT