Riverside County Office of Education

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Top Poets!

Poets of Note

Poets of Note will be published and receive an award at the Teen Poet Laureate Ceremony on November 20, 2024, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., at the Grier Pavilion, Riverside.

Finalists

Finalists will be published and receive a Certificate of Recognition.

Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mentions will receive a Certificate of Recognition.

Teen Poet Laureate Competition Rules:

• Poems may be in any style or form but may not exceed a total of ten pages.
• Poems must be the original creative work of the poet. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification from this and all future Teen Poet Laureate opportunities.
• Single or double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman preferred unless the poem’s form dictates the format (example: blackout poetry, erasures, visual poetry, etc.).
• No gratuitous violent or sexual content. No hate speech. No slander. If you must ask, you probably already know the answer. (But if you’re not sure, do ask.)

If Selected, Poet:

• Must be available for up to four public appearances throughout the county. (Transportation available upon request.)
• Must be enrolled in high school at time of submission.
• Must attest that their work is solely their own original creative work.

Reception and Poetry Reading for Finalists:

Wednesday, November 20, 2024
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Grier Pavilion, Riverside City Hall

For additional information, please contact Louisa Higgins, Administrator, The Arts | lhiggins@rcoe.us

Congratulations to the 2023-2024 Top Finalists

The top five finalists, including the Riverside County Teen Poet Laureate, were announced at the reception and poetry reading on November 14, 2023.

Teen Poet Laureate – Bibinaz Nami

1^st Runner Up – Sophia Martin

2^nd Runner Up – Zanae Demery

Poet of Note – Vincent Do 

Poet of Note – Lauren Cruz De Armas

Teen Poet Laureate Finalists 2023-2024

Selected Regional Teen Poet Laureate, runners up and finalists will be published in a limited-edition commemorative chapbook. Selected entries will also be published in the All-Teen issue of Inlandia: A Literary Journey, the online literary journal of the Inlandia Institute.

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Here's what participants had to say about their 2023 Riverside County Teen Poet Laureate experience:

“The process is almost effortless, and you'll be glad you tried it.”

“This was an amazing and uplifting experience, and I would 100% recommend you participate.”

“Poetry is a universal language, being able to share and be acknowledged