Teenagers who express themselves through poetry now have the chance to be named Santa Cruz County’s next youth poet laureate.
Santa Cruz County Public Libraries, in partnership with Urban Word, Watsonville Public Library, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, and the Arts Council Santa Cruz County, has opened applications for the county’s second youth poet laureate. The position is available to county residents between the ages of 13 and 18 who are passionate about poetry, want to promote it in the community, and are willing to serve a one-year term.
The county’s first youth poet laureate, Dina Lusztig Noyes, was named to the position after it was established in 2020. Noyes, now a senior at Pacific Collegiate School, used her role to promote poetry through workshops, civic events, and readings, while inspiring other young people to engage with the art form.
Similar to the adult poet laureate, the youth poet laureate will work to bring poetry to the community. They will lead workshops, attend civic events, and encourage their peers to explore poetry. The position also offers opportunities for publication.
To help applicants, several workshops will be held throughout the county. The first will be at 4:30 p.m. on January 29 at Watsonville Public Library, 275 Main St., Suite 100. Additional workshops are scheduled for February 6 at 4 p.m. at Aptos Branch Library, February 13 at 4 p.m. at Downtown Branch Library, and February 22 at 11 a.m. at Felton Branch Library.
The application deadline is March 1, with finalists announced on March 31. Finalists will be celebrated at 7 p.m. on April 17 at Samper Recital Hall at Cabrillo College, Aptos. All finalists will receive a $100 honorarium, and the selected youth poet laureate will receive a $500 honorarium.
