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BOSTON - Thursday,
September 23, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and
Culture, in collaboration with the Boston Public Library, today announced
applications are open for Boston’s next Youth Poet Laureate. Interested
youth ages 13-18 can apply here until November 14, 2021 at 5 p.m.
“This program
fosters joy, resilience and uplifts youth voices throughout the City,” said
Mayor Janey. “Thank you to Alondra for your inspiring work during a
challenging two years. I look forward to showcasing the talents of the next
Youth Poet Laureate.”
The Boston Youth Poet Laureate program (BYPL) was created in cooperation
with the national youth literary organization, Urban Word, local youth
literary leaders, the Boston Public Library, MassLEAP, and 826 Boston to
promote appreciation for poetry. Similar to the Poet Laureate's civic challenge, the Youth Poet Laureate is
tasked with inspiring deeper engagement in the written and spoken
word.
“It is imperative
that we invest and encourage young folks in our city to express themselves
via the arts,” said Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola. “The goal of
Boston's Youth Poet Laureate program is not to inspire one young writer,
but to uplift many with the craft of poetry. As a writer who began writing
poems as a young person, I know how imperative it is to invest in a
community of writers who will grow to shape and lead this city.”
Like the City’s Poet
Laureate, the Youth Poet Laureate will act as an advocate for poetry,
language and the arts, and create a unique artistic legacy through public
readings and civic events. They will also attend a variety of civic
functions, participate in poetry events, and oversee special civic
projects.
The City announced Alondra Bobadilla of Hyde Park as Boston’s
inaugural Youth Poet Laureate in January 2020, and since then she has participated in
numerous readings and events throughout the City. She recently published
her first collection of poetry, With Clipped Wings, and she is
attending UMass Boston this fall.
“In the past two
years, I have had the humbling opportunity and the honor to begin a
legacy,” said Boston Youth Poet Laureate Alondra Bobadilla. “I hope the
next Youth Poet Laureate does not simply build upon the connections that
were formed with various branches of the community through my time in the
role, but that they propel forward their own contributions to the greater
vision behind the program; advocating for poetry and the literary arts,
advocating for the community through these mediums, and expanding the
accessibility of this art form to all in the City of Boston.”
The mission for the
youth laureateship is to raise the status of poetry in the everyday
consciousness of Bostonians. The Youth Poet Laureate is a ceremonial and
not a political appointment, and is intended to be a significant fixture in
Boston's cultural and artistic arena.
Applicants must be
13-18 years old, and must have lived in the City of Boston for at least one
year prior to their nomination. The City is seeking someone who has a
strong commitment to their community, and is enthusiastic about presenting
their work to the public.
The Youth Poet
Laureate will serve a minimum term of two years, with the potential to
serve up to four years. They will receive a $2,000 honorarium each year, as
well as mentorship from Boston’s Poet Laureate. They will also publish
their own collection of poetry.
“We’re excited to
continue working with a Youth Poet Laureate to raise awareness of the power
of the arts, and to increase youth participation in the arts throughout
each neighborhood of the city,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and
Culture.
A selection panel
will review applications and identify final candidates for interviews. The
Youth Poet Laureate will be announced at a finalist showcase on January 15,
2022 at the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library.
More information
about the Youth Poet Laureate program can be found here, and interested youth poets can apply here. | 
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