Applications for the 2026 Loudoun County Youth Poet Laureate open in September! The National Youth Poet Laureate Program aims to identify young writers and leaders committed to creating change through civic engagement and poetic excellence. Loudoun Community Press partners with Urban Word on the Youth Poet Laureate program in Virginia.
Along with the official title and a $1,000 scholarship, the Loudoun Youth Poet Laureate gets both high-level performance and learning opportunities and the chance to apply to be the National Youth Poet Laureate. They will join a community of other talented young poets, including Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate (2017), who read her poetry at the 2021 Presidential inauguration!