100 Words Anthologies
Created by : Melida Rodas
Ancestry. Artistry. Agency.
REED
About
VISION STATEMENT
REED The Interactive Poetry Garden (IPG)
is a premier placemaking initiative and the foundational pilot for a New Jersey Eco-Corridor. Led by Poet Laureate Melida Rodas, the project revitalizes historic landmarks as portals for Indigenous and community expression, demonstrating that cultural stewardship is essential to urban decarbonization.
Founded in Jersey City, this model serves as a scalable blueprint—utilizing spatial soundscapes and digital tools to activate urban landscapes. Our mission is to integrate ancestral wisdom with modern technology to create a more resilient, sustainable future for all.
The Visionary Lead
This project represents the successful convergence of Melida Rodas' roles as a civic leader (Poet Laureate), a community builder (Festival Founder), and an independent fine artist. By leveraging the existing infrastructure of her established non-profit and the mandate of her fellowship, she directs 100% of project funding toward high-impact creative elements—ensuring that art remains the primary engine for environmental change.
Melida Rodas
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Poet Laureate, Jersey City
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Founder, Jersey City Poetry Festival
Board Member:
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Museum of Jersey City History
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Jersey City Free Public Library
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Grupo Gajola North America
Creative Collaborator Disney/Pixar
Strategic Urban Activation
We transform Landmarks into "Living Laboratories" through a statewide Eco-Corridor.
By integrating high-level production rigor with sustainable design, we provide:
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Digital Reclamation: Using AR and spatial audio to layer history onto modern infrastructure. Collaborators: Color & Light Festival and "Le Fiddler"
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Acoustic Architecture: Immersive soundscapes curated by Grammy-winner Martha Mooke, Justin Garcia and Segunda Quimbamba
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Inclusive Accessibility: Tactile Braille poetry and multisensory paths designed for universal access
SCHOOLS
Involved
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Waldo International School
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McNair Academic High School
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High Tech High School
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JC Public School Students
REED:
The 2026 Reservoir Pilot Program
[A Blueprint for Urban Restoration - The Launch In The Coming Season]
REED: The Interactive Poetry Garden will debut as a high-velocity multimedia intervention. Led by Poet Laureate Melida Rodas, the pilot will transform Jersey City’s historic landmarks into "living laboratories," deploying a sophisticated digital infrastructure to address the urgent call for climate justice.
The Multi-sensory Experience:
The program will unveil a series of immersive "auditory pathways" featuring spatial soundscapes by 2026 Grammy Winner Martha Mooke. Visitors will navigate these sites through tactile Braille poetry and augmented reality, ensuring that environmental beauty remains radically inclusive. By weaving Mayan traditions with the rhythms of Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba and Cuban Fusion, the pilot will demonstrate how ancestral stewardship can drive modern decarbonization.
The 2026 cycle will formalize a "Statewide Eco-Corridor,"
physically and digitally bridging:
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The Jersey City Reservoir: The hub for biodegradable land art.
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The Museum os Jerey City History / Apple Tree House: The center for historical reclamation.
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The Paramount Theatre (Asbury Park): The stage for large-scale projection mapping.
The Next Generation
At the heart of the pilot is an intergenerational pipeline. We will activate a network of "Climate Witnesses," led by 6th-8th grade Ambassadors from Waldo International School and advised by the McNair Academic Youth Advisory Board. These students will not just observe the project; they will co-create the biodegradable mandalas and digital maps that define our bioregional future.
The Impact
Endorsed by:
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NJ State Senator Angela McKnight
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The Jersey City Arts Council
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The Jersey City Division of Cultural Affairs
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The Hudson County Division of Cultural Affairs and Tourism,
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The Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy
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and many others
The REED Pilot Program will serve as a scalable model for cities worldwide. It will prove that when we reclaim colonial landmarks as portals for community and Indigenous expression, we do more than fix a landscape—we restore a culture.
Melida Rodas I BIO
Poet Laureate of Jersey City 2024–2026 | Founder, Jersey City Poetry Festival
BFA - NJ Certified Teacher K-12 I Former Dodge Poetry Festival School Coordinator
Melida Rodas is an artist, poet, educator, and public arts organizer with extensive experience in youth engagement and community-based literary projects. As Jersey City’s current Poet Laureate, her work has been curated alongside icons such as Walt Whitman, Bruce Springsteen, Ezra Pound and recognized by Save Ellis Island. Her literary and pedagogical work is published by prestigious global outlets, including Oxford University Press, The Feminist Press, Pearson Press, and The Sun Magazine, with scholarly contributions featured in Project Muse and Transformations.
A recipient of a master class residency at Poets House under Marie Ponsot, Rodas focuses her current practice on "Ecological Memory" and the decolonization of urban landscapes. She is currently developing a pilot production of Monsters, Inc. The Musical Jr. for Disney and Pixar. She occupies a unique position of institutional leadership as a Board Member for the Museum of Jersey City History and The Jersey City Public Library Foundation.
Melida previously served a 3 year term on the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund Committee, the governing body established to ensure equity in municipal art funding. She has received multiple awards and accolades for her community-centered work and her innovative art projects that bridge poetry with environmental activism.