Congratulations to the 2026 Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Nolawit Ketema and Vice Youth Poet Laureate Rachel Dunn!
Learn more about the 2026 winners, judges, and contest here.
PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: 2025 Berkeley Vice Youth Poet Laureate Adalilly Chu, 2025 Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Anita Marie Julca, 2026 Berkeley Vice Youth Poet Laureate Rachel Dunn, and 2026 Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Nolawit Ketema, January 13, 2026.
Submissions more the 2027 contest will be available in Fall 2026.
ANNUAL WINNERS, CONTEST CHAPBOOKS, AND JUDGES
2026
2025
2024
ABOUT THE BERKELEY YOUTH POET LAUREATE PROGRAM
The Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Program is a project to elevate and amplify Berkeley teens’ voices through poetry. Teens will get a chance to explore their civic voices, join a cohort of young writers, and help nurture a writing environment at the library and in school.
The laureate and vice laureate will serve for a calendar year and have the opportunity to perform at library and city functions, lead a community art project, and participate in writing workshops. They will also be eligible to represent Berkeley in the National Youth Poet Laureate Competition.
Important dates
The application period opens on September 2 and closes on October 31, 2025.
Who is eligible?
You are eligible if:
- You will be age 13-18 as of January 1, 2026;
- You live in Berkeley or attend school in Berkeley.
How to apply
The application consists of three sections: basic personal and contact information, a resume/CV, and three original poems. You can find out more about each component in the "Tips for applying" section below. To complete and submit your official application, use this webform:
Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Application
Tips for applying
Basic Personal and Contact Information
You will need to have the following:
- Name
- Age
- Date of birth
- Address
- School you are attending for the 2025-26 school year
- Phone number (optional)
Resume/CV
The resume/CV will be submitted as an attachment (any format, such as pdf or doc, will work). The resume/CV is a chance for you to share about your experience with civic engagment, social justice, work experience, education, awards, and additional skills/experiences. It is okay to leave a section blank if you do not have any experience that fits. However, it is a requirement to submit a resume/CV, so simply fill it out to the best of your ability.
For the resume/CV, you are encouraged to use the template provided:
Youth Poet Laureate Resume/CV Template
Three Original Poems
The three original poems will be submitted as an attachment (any format, such as pdf or doc, will work). They must be original work and should not be over 10 pages total.
Learn about the judges and judging process
The Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate judging FAQs, process, rubric, and criteria are summarized here:
Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Judging FAQs, Process, Rubric, and Criteria
Each year, Berkeley Public Library staff recruit a new cohort of judges from the broad communities of Berkeley and Bay Area poetry. Learn about the judges below.
Questions?
Contact the BYPL Committee by email, and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have: youthpoet@berkeleyca.gov
The Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate program is supported by an alliance of community partners. These community partners include the City of Berkeley Civic Arts Commission and Berkeley Public Schools, in partnership with Urban Word.
