This is a blog by the Social Justice Services team
Calling All Teen Poets!
Do you live in Alameda County? Are you between 13 and 18 years old? Do you love writing and having the opportunity to share your work with a community of other poets? Applications are now open for the fourth annual Alameda County Youth Poet Laureate Competition!
Zoe Dorado, our 2021 Youth Poet Laureate, currently serves as the Vice National Youth Poet Laureate. In 2024, she performed at the National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Our 2024 Youth Poet Laureate, Jovina Zion Pradeep, is one of four poets nationwide competing for the 2025 National Youth Poet Laureate title through Urban Word, our sponsor organization. Jovina will be headed to Washington, D.C. to perform at the National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement on April 26.
We need the voices and the visions of young people like YOU to strengthen our community and the fabric of our society. Who you? Yes YOU!! Poetry is a fantastic way to use your voice!
When selecting your work for the application, consider your poetry’s Content, Craft, and Voice. These are the three categories judges will use to evaluate your work. Make sure to remove your name from the document you upload with all three poems, as they will be assessed anonymously. Email any questions you have to ypl@aclibrary.org.
For inspiration, here are a few links to the previous Laureates’ poems:
Alameda County 2024 Youth Poet Laureate, Jovina Zion Pradeep
Alameda County 2024 Vice Youth Poet Laureate, Ashwika Jani
Check out our teen poetry book lists written by teen authors and poets breaking new ground:
When poets write their life stories...
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