Local students who have joined a social media site to share their thoughts on the Gulf oil spill through creative writing and other art forms have earned national attention.

The Web site Voices of the Gulf was created by English teacher Paul Allison from East-West School of International Studies in Queens, N.Y. He is also the technology liaison for the New York City Writing Project and said he started the site with the intentions of allowing students along the Gulf, as well as all over the country, to share recollections and perspectives on the disaster