Four Points: Travel Grant for Emerging Poets

~ Four Points: Travel Grant for Emerging Poets ~

I have an idea for a travel program that I think would be a terrific way to facilitate the development of rising poets/writers/artists.  

In brief, the idea is to fund early career poets (~22-34 years old) over a period of two years while they spend 6-months in four locations around the U.S. (that are different regions than their hometown). 

For example, a poet from Kentucky would be given the opportunity to live for 6 months on the East Coast, 6 months in the Deep South or upper Northeast (Michigan, Minnesota, Maine), 6 months in the West or Southwest (say New Mexico or Colorado or Montana) and 6 months in the Pacific Northwest. 

My inclination would be to grant each recipient of the award $60,000 ($15K for each 6-month period) as well as up to an additional $15,000 (over two years) for itemized expenses (within reason). 

Additionally, I think it might be wise to look into setting up mentorship in each location the grantee stays as a way of supplementing the educational aspects of the experience beyond simply living in different spaces in the country. 

My thought is that, in one respect, this could be an alternative to a more traditional MFA program.