New Haven Youth Poet Laureate Program

In partnership with Urban Word and the National Youth Poet Laureate (NYPL) program, we are proud to announce the inaugural year of the New Haven Youth Poet Laureate! The Youth Poet Laureate program aims to identify young writers and leaders who are committed to civic and community engagement, diversity and inclusion, and youth voices across New Haven, Connecticut, and beyond.

The Youth Poet Laureate program was piloted in 2008 and gained national recognition when the nation’s first National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, performed her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the 2021 presidential inauguration. 

Submissions to this year's New Haven competition will be open from January 1, 2024 - March 1, 2024. This will be followed by a judging period, and finalists will be announced by mid-March. In April, finalists will be invited to a final showcase where we will announce New Haven’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate will be featured on the Yale Literary Magazine website and published in the NYPL annual anthology, and will have the unique chance to advance to the regional and national levels of competition.