Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate

2024 – 2025 Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate
Application Period: February 7th – March 6th, 2024

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The Arts Council for Monterey County in partnership with Urban Word celebrates local youth poets with the opportunity to serve as the Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate. Youth poets will exhibit a commitment to excellence, civic engagement, leadership, and social justice. Youth poets will submit five (5) original poems for adjudication to determine the Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate. The Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate will serve a one-year term, participate in several engagements throughout the year, and receive a $1,000 honorarium.

Applications for the 2024 – 2025 Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate are now closed and are under review.

The Youth Poet Laureate acts as an advocate and county ambassador for poetry, social action and the arts. They will champion their own poetic practice while also encouraging their peers to take part in the art form through readings, workshops and by representing the county at events and engagements.

  • Commencement Ceremony: Monday, April 29th, 2024 at 4:30pm at the Marina Library Community Room
  • Poet Laureate projects to include working with the Monterey County Poet Laureate
  • Collaborate with the Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) to develop an outreach plan

2023-2024 Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate

Mahi Shah of Salinas, a junior at Notre Dame High School, was selected as the Inaugural Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate. She will serve a one-year term, participate in several engagements throughout the year, and receive a $1,000 honorarium.

Emily Amador of Stevenson School is runner-up Youth Poet Laureate. Honorable mention was given to Ieleen Li of Salinas, a sophomore at Salinas High School; Melissa Macias of Castroville a junior at North Monterey County High School; and Brianna Sciuto of Carmel, a sophomore at Carmel High School.

The Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate is a program of the Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) in partnership with Urban Word, the producer of the National Youth Poet Laureate program and movement. This program celebrates youth voices that are committed to artistic excellence, civic engagement and social impact. The Youth Poet Laureate position is recognized by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors with a county resolution made in honor of this role. In our inaugural year of the Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate, we received an overwhelming response of 28 applicants from students across the county. Student applicants represent the communities of Carmel, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Gonzales, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside, and Soledad.

To book, contact ReNae Jackson at 831-622-9060 or via email at rene@arts4mc.org.

Mahi Shah

2023-2024 Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate