We are so excited to announce that applications for the 15th Oakland Youth Poet Laureate (OYPL) will open on January 2, 2026! Our application always opens in January and closes in the beginning of February... so if you are reading this after then date, there is next year.
Our program considers ALL young poets (13-18 and living in Oakland) as eligible applicants.
If you write poems, you are a poet! Whether or not you've performed a poem, been on a slam team, been published, or won awards, we invite you to apply! We don't even care if you've never read your work out loud!
With the OYPL program, we continue to build a community of writers who support each other and grow together over the course of the year and beyond. Every applicant, even if they don’t make it to the final round, is invited to be a part of the community.
Finalists all receive a $500 cash prize to help support their poetry and the Laureate also receives a $5000 scholarship.
Launching in Style
We will be celebrating the opening of our applications on January 2nd, 2026 from 7pm-8:30pm at Chapter 510 (546 9th Street, Oakland). This is an annual event that includes performance and a Q&A with current and older poets. Staff will be available to answer any questions about the program. Please join us and spread the word!
You can email us at OYPL@oaklandlibrary.org for more information or to request a workshop or info session for your school or community organization. You can find more information about the program and how it works at oaklandlibrary.org/youthpoets.
If you just need a little help with your writing, or maybe some inspiration, we've got that too!
Books to Help You Poet
Get your poem on! Teens can find some prompts and practical tips for their writing just in time to apply to the OYPL program!
Poetry by Oakland Teens
Inspirational!
Local Resources
Founded in 1996 in San Francisco, Youth Speaks is a leading presenter of Spoken Word performance, education, and youth development programs. Trailblazers of local and national youth poetry slams, festivals, and more, Youth Speaks offers a comprehensive slate of literary arts education programs and provides numerous opportunities for youth to be published and heard. Youth Speaks has worked with hundreds of thousands of youth and has helped create partner programs in 47 cities across the United States.
Chapter 510 | A made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking & publishing center
Chapter 510 connects youth to the power of their stories.
We provide a safe space for youth to bravely write, centering Black, brown and queer voices.
Online Resources
Poetry for Teens | Academy of American Poets
Find information about the art of reading and writing poetry. There are selections of poems, essays, recommended reading lists, must-have anthologies, interviews, and advice right here.
Poems written by teens | Teen Ink
By teens, for teens... loads of all kinds of art, topics, and advice.
"The Poetry Foundation transforms lives through the power of words. Our work aims to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry." - their mission
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