We Are So Much More

The Youth Poet Laureate Program is aimed at elevating youth voices that are committed to artistic excellence and social justice. Rooted in critical literacy and cultivated in safe space, the goal of the Youth Poet Laureate Program is to create a platform through poetry that prioritizes youth voice, elevates historically marginalized narratives, and allows these young leaders to access spaces that they are traditionally denied.

In its inaugural year, the Fox Valley Youth Poet Laureate Program is run by Teen Writers and Artists Project. Teen Writers and Artists Project has spent more than a decade dedicating themselves to serving the youth of the Fox Valley. Currently in 52 cities nationally, this program will award the title of "Youth Poet Laureate" to a Fox Valley youth each year, and provides platforms for people in the program to use their powerful voices for social impact.

This year's finalists offer poems centered on identity issues, but they also provide profound beliefs on how no one should feel centered in a box or singular description. Congratulations to all our Poetry Delegates and our Poet Laureate. This is work we all needed to read and we are grateful for your voices.