Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate Program

Project Mission:
To serve as youth ambassadors for civic engagement, literary excellence, and social
justice through literacy, arts, and youth expression with ongoing opportunities for
performances and community collaborations.

The Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate program is youth-centered program to celebrate literacy and self-literacy through poetry and connect young writers to opportunities for performances and community collaborations. This program offers youth free creative writing workshops and opportunities to gain editorial and publishing experience.

Each year, we will accept applications from talented Santa Clara County writers (ages 13-18) to join a community of young poets. The Laureate earns an educational scholarship. The Laureate will, and all the Finalists are invited to, serve as ambassadors for literacy, arts and youth expression with ongoing opportunities for performances, projects, and peer support.

Every applicant will be invited to stay in connection with the SCC Youth Poet Laureate community.

This program is led by Founder and SCC Poet Laureate Emerita Janice Lobo Sapigao (Co-Director) and Keana Aguila Labra (Co-Director) and Karla Santiago- Reyes (Co-Director).