Meet Patrice Hill

Patrice Hill is a poet, public speaker, youth advocate, host, curator and community-based educator who has over a decade of experience teaching in urban classrooms and writing and performing spoken word poetry. Born and raised in Fresno, CA., Patrice uses her background as an urban, inner-city, public school educated student to develop curriculum that is culturally relevant and meaningful to the lives of young people. Ms. Hill received her BA degree in Pan-African Studies from California State University Sacramento (CSUS). She began her career as a TA for several Ethnic Studies Professors at CSUS, which eventually landed her the opportunity to instruct an independent intro class for the inaugural African American Learning Community. After teaching for a full year at CSUS, Patrice then began teaching at Sierra School, a private alternative school for students with learning and emotional disabilities. As an undergrad at CSUS she was exposed to the Sacramento poetry scene through The Suga Shack poetry series ran by local Sacramento poet and author, Sean King. As a young student, activist, and promoter, Ms. Hill found her poetic voice while attending the Mahogany Urban Poetry Series weekly open mic. It was at Mahogany where Hill's poetry career really began. As a young poet, she had the opportunity to be mentored by amazing poets including Angela Boyce (RIP), Ifa Modupe, Cleo Cartel, Khiry Malik, Taalam Acey, among others. Ms. Hill has performed extensively throughout California as a member of the infamous Supercaliflowlinguistics poetry group. Ms. Hill was a member of the 2003 and 2004 Sacramento National Poetry Slam team, which not only competed nationally but also won the Battle of the Bay Poetry Slam Competition. In addition, Ms. Hill founded and hosted the weekly open mic venue TalkBack Tuesdays for several years with Rodzilla the Blackademic. As a poet and writer, Hill has evolved into a community-based educator, working directly with youth and teachers inside classrooms using spoken word poetry and writing as a tool to engage, educate, transform and heal. She specializes in providing direct service to students, facilitating teacher professional development training, developing culturally relevant curriculum and facilitating writing workshops with youth, teachers and youth practitioners. As the Program Coordinator of Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, Ms. Hill continues to be immersed in the art of Poetry and Spoken Word working with the beautiful and brilliant youth throughout California and beyond.

Awards & Honors

• Sacramento Kings Martin Luther King Jr. Community Impact Award 2020

• Equity Summit Social Justice Award; Ubuntu Award for Inspiring Social Change 2018

• We See You Award; Luther Burbank High School Renaissance Project Collective 2018

• Black Girls Rock Award; Grant Union High School Administration   2018

• Outstanding Service in African American Community Award; University of California Davis 2017

• Points of Pride Award; UC Davis Division of Student Affairs    2016

• Inspire Award; Twin Rivers Unified School District      2015

 Conference Presentations* + Poetry Performances

• Team Up for Change Summit; Sacramento Kings + Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento, CA Performance Poet               2019

• 43rd Annual National Council for Black Studies, New Orleans, LA Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet       2019

• Creativity Summit, Sacramento, CA Workshop Presenter + Youth Poet Performance Organizer     2019

• People’s Think Tank; University of Massachusetts at Boston, Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet  2019

• Peace and Unity Rally; Sierra Health Foundation, Sacramento, CA  - Host and Performance Poet        2019

• Black Women’s Staff Luncheon, Congressional Black Caucus, Sacramento, CA Performance Poet      2019

• UC Black Administrators and Counselors Conference; UC Office of the President, Performance Poet    2019

• Equity Summit; University of California Davis, Performance Poet      2019

• Black Women’s March; Black Women United, Sacramento, CA, Performance Poet   2019

• CA Spoken Word Project Convening, San Jose, CA Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet       2019

• American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, New York, NY, Performance Poet     2018

• Imagining America National Convening, Chicago, Il  - Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet     2018

• Educational Opportunity Program Graduation Ceremony, CSUS, Keynote Speaker + Performance Poet    2018

• Institute for Teachers committed to Racial Justice, UC Riverside, Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet  2018

• Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, Congressional Black Caucus, Sacramento, CA, Performance Poet      2018

• Black Student Unions of California Northern Region Conference, Davis, CA Workshop Presenter + Poet  2017

• New Educator Weekend, California Teachers Association, Irvine, CA Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet   2017

• Teachers 4 Social Justice 17th Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet   2016

• Harvard Graduate School of Education: Alumni of Color Conference, Workshop Presenter + Performance Poet    2014

• Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival, Various Cities States, Slam Team Coach    2012-2016  

  
  *All conference presentations were/are writing workshops using the foundations of poetry and spoken word to curate spaces of healing and transformation through reflective writing practices using participants personal narratives and truths. 

Direct Poetry Experience 

•  Spoken Word Performance Poetry Artist 19 years actively performing locally, nationally and competitively. 

• Member of 2003 and 2004 National Sacramento Slam Team (2003 Team Won Critically Acclaimed Battle of The Bay)

• Excellent public speaking skills and poetry performances in front of audiences up to 1000+

• Coach of the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 SAYS Brave New Voices Slam Team (placed top 20 internationally each year) 

• Producer, editor and curator of over five student poetry anthologies and poetry collections

• Development and facilitation of Professional Development to teachers, community-based educators and youth practitioners using poetry and spoken word writing workshops 

• Exceptional relationship building skills with school districts, teachers and students (particular focus on disadvantaged students, adopted/foster youth and at-risk/high-risk students) 

• Developing and implementing programs and events based on student, school and community needs

 Director, Sacramento Area Youth Speaks  

Educational Equity ~ Pedagogical Framework Specialist ~ Social Justice Youth Development 

Commended throughout career for effective development of integrating poetry and spoken word into common core state standards and developing culturally relevant and responsive performance poetry-based curriculum to engage youth in school and community settings. Highly effective in developing youth performance poets and spoken word artists through critical teacher/student relationships within the Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS) Program. Skilled at working in and bringing arts education and programming, culturally relevant curriculum, civic engagement, and access to higher education to underserved communities and populations within the Greater Sacramento Region. Committed to developing student/artist leadership amongst elementary, middle, high-school and college students within and beyond the walls of school. Respected by peers for unparalleled spoken-word/performance poetry/social justice activism/university-community partnerships/civic engagement/performance development/college access work in my community and beyond. University of California Davis trained Director, Program Coordinator, Teaching Artist focused on Effective Pedagogy, Teacher Professional Development, Curriculum Development and Artistic Development in Educational Equity and Social Justice. 

Professional Experience

University of California, Davis             2010-Present

• Offices of Chancellor and Provost 

• Enrollment Management/Undergraduate Admissions                                 

• Director, Sacramento Area Youth Speaks/Teacher Professional Development Coordinator/ Teaching Artist/Performance Poet

  • Served as primary contact in coordinating communications and logistics with a wide range of people from a variety of backgrounds including school administration and staff, local education agencies, community partners and students in order to conduct literacy programs within various elementary, middle and high schools and school districts.

  • Developed original academic curricula with interactive classroom instruction aligned with Common Core State Standards and the foundations of poetry and spoken word. 

  • Responsible for designing, developing and implementing training related to youth literacy development and spoken word performance poetry. 

  • Accountable for preparing written reports, correspondence, proposals, program assessments, and other materials for a variety of audiences. 

  • Successfully conducted various year-long classroom residencies and afterschool literacy programs within Sacramento City Unified School District, Twin Rivers Unified School District, San Juan Unified School District, Natomas Unified School District and Yolo County Office of Education.

  • Applied expertise in establishing and maintaining supportive relationships and evaluating students’ needs and progress with multi-ethnic students from disadvantaged backgrounds in various school districts. 

Conference Presentations + Keynote Speaker + Performances 

• Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Prep Medico Conference Sacramento, CA      2021

• California Black Women’s Health Project Care Summit, Sacramento, CA          2021

• San Juan Unified School District Women’s Empowerment Conference Sacramento, CA        2021

• UC Davis School of Law Health Matters Conference, Sacramento, CA            2021

• Twin Rivers Unified School District African American Parents Program Sacramento, CA          2021

• National Action Network Sacramento Annual Conference, Sacramento, CA           2021

• Fortune School of Education Virtual Town Hall Meeting Sacramento, CA         2021

• Teach For America Equity Coalition Workshop Sacramento, CA        2021

• Pacific School of Religion Spoken Word Research Practicum Berkeley, CA     2021

• Touro University, Diversity Now Scholar Activism Panel Sacramento, CA      2020

• Sierra Health Foundation Black Child Legacy Campaign Sacramento Juneteenth Celebration         2020

• UC Davis Equity Summit Rituals of Resistance Davis, CA                   2020

• Umoja Community Education Foundation Health and Resiliency Workshop Sacramento, CA       2020

• City of Sacramento City Council Office Children’s Budget Summit Sacramento, CA        2020

• Black Youth Leadership Project, Brown vs. Board of Education Bootcamp          2020

• Office of Student and Resident Diversity Annual Staff Retreat Sacramento, CA       2020

• NBA Team Up for Change Summit; Sacramento Kings + Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento, CA       2019

• “Lift Us Up Don’t Push Us Out” National Book Tour and Release         2019

• 43rd Annual National Council for Black Studies, New Orleans, LA           2019

• Sacramento Art + Creativity Summit, Sacramento, CA             2019

• People’s Think Tank; University of Massachusetts at Boston          2019

• Peace and Unity Rally; Sierra Health Foundation, Sacramento, CA       2019

• Black Women’s Staff Luncheon, Congressional Black Caucus, Sacramento, CA        2019

• UC Black Administrators and Counselors Conference; UC Office of the President,       2019

• Equity Summit; University of California Davis,       2019

• Black Women’s March; Black Women United, Sacramento, CA,      2019

• CA Spoken Word Project Convening, San Jose, CA       2019

• American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, New York, NY,          2018

• Imagining America National Convening, Chicago, Il             2018

• Educational Opportunity Program Graduation Ceremony, California State University Sacramento          2018

• Institute for Teachers committed to Racial Justice, University of California Riverside,         2018

• Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, Congressional Black Caucus, Sacramento, CA       2018

• Yolo County Office of Education Resiliency Conference.          2018

• Teachers for Social Justice Annual Conference. San Francisco, CA           2018

• Black Student Unions of California Northern Region Conference, Davis, CA         2017

• New Educator Weekend, California Teachers Association, Irvine, CA       2017

• Teachers 4 Social Justice 17th Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA,          2016

• Harvard Graduate School of Education: Alumni of Color Conference,          2014

• Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival, Various Cities States, Slam Team Coach                      2012-2016  

All conference presentations were/are writing workshops/keynote speaker/host using the foundations of poetry and spoken word to curate spaces of healing and transformation through reflective writing practices using participants personal narratives and truths.