Portland’s First Youth Poet Laureate Project Announces 12 Finalists

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Briauna Skye McKizzie, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Earlier this year, Artists Repertory Theatre (ART), Urban Word, and Spit/Write, a youth-empowerment movement, created the first Portland Youth Poet Laureate project.

The Project helped cultivate talented teen writers, rappers, emcees, and poets ages 13-18 by asking them to compete for the title of the Inaugural Portland Youth Poet Laureate.

Up until June 30th, teens throughout the city submitted five poems to Spit/Write’s website, with one poem or rap dedicated to the idea of “Equity, Justice and Youth Leadership.”

After a few weeks of deliberating, a panel of judges selected 12 finalists and named them Portland’s Poet Ambassadors.

Now that these twelve special teens have made it this far, they will be mentored in writing and performance until a top winner is chosen in September.

The winner will earn the title of Portland Poet Youth Laureate, a national book deal from Penmanship Books, and the chance to go on a regional book tour.

Meanwhile, the other finalists will continue to share their passion and drive for leadership through other opportunities created by being in the program.

“A naked poem clothed in bravado can be empowering, especially to disenfranchised or shy teens, because it allows them to express ideas in words full of their own style and truth,” said S. Renee Mitchell, the founder of Spit/Write.

Click here to meet Portland’s First Youth Poet Ambassadors.

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