The North American Review has launched the Cedar Valley Youth Poet Laureate program! Based on the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, we are encouraging students to participate in our 2024 Commencement event, where the 2024 Cedar Valley Youth Poet Laureate will be chosen by a panel of judges. The goal is to identify and celebrate exceptional young poets who use their voice to inspire change. We believe that young people are capable of creating important works of art, and deserve a venue to both develop and share these works with the world.
It is free to submit, but teens will be required to set up a free account on Submittable. The deadline to submit up to three (3) poems for consideration is 11:59 pm on April 1st. The North American Review Editors will read all submissions, and select meritorious and qualified teens to compete for the position of 2024 Cedar Valley Youth Poet Laureate at the commencement event.
Qualifying teens must be aged 13-19 living in one of eight counties that comprise the Cedar Valley (Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Grundy, & Tama). By participating in this event, they will meet other teens with an interest in poetry, share their writing with a live audience, and compete for the chance to be named the 2024 Cedar Valley Youth Poet Laureate. This title includes a $250 cash prize, a scholarship from UNI, the opportunity to become an ambassador for poetry in the Cedar Valley, and possible publication by the North American Review. Runners-up will also receive UNI scholarships and other prizes.
This commencement event is Saturday, April 20, 2024 3pm-5pm in the Interpreter’s Theatre, located within Lang Hall on UNI’s campus. This event is free and open to the public, and we encourage students to bring their families, teachers, classmates and friends to support them in the audience.