- Lake County Arts Council
- Posted On
Lake County’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate Program launched
Inspired by the non-stop momentum of youth poetry in the United States, Guardado wanted Lake County to become part of the movement by creating the first Youth Poet Laureate program of the county.
The Lake County Poet Laureate program was created in 1998 and has successfully appointed 11 poets laureate between 1998 and 2020.
When she proposed the program to the executive director of the Lake County Arts Council, Barbara Clark, the idea was immediately welcomed with enthusiasm.
The council’s board of directors voted unanimously to create the program with Guardado’s direction and with the Lake County Arts Council, or LCAC, being the host organization.
Over the course of a year, Guardado researched and planned the program while carrying out her own duties as poet laureate and as a fellow with the Academy of American Poets.
She and LCAC have partnered with Urban Word NYC, the very organization that hosts the National Youth Poet Laureate program, to both connect Lake County to partners across the country and for the youth poet laureate to have access to a wide array of opportunities offered by Urban Word NYC.
Many may be familiar with the widely known Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, who eloquently recited at President Biden’s inauguration in 2020. The current national youth poet laureate, Alexandra Huynh, is from Sacramento.
Urban Word NYC celebrates the nation’s top poets who are committed to artistic excellence, civic engagement, and social impact.
Founded in New York City in 2008, the Youth Poet Laureate Program partners with local and national literary arts organizations across the country to elevate youth voices at the forefront of social change.
Program partners and supporters include the Academy of American Poets, the Library of Congress, the Poetry Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
With youth programs making a significant impact across the nation, implementing such a program in Lake County would directly support the voices of our rural youth, encourage a new sense of community, build public speaking and leadership skills for our appointee, and give opportunity for youth to speak for social justice, racial equality and diversity.
Urban Word NYC has partnered with leading youth literary arts organizations to launch youth poet laureate programs in more than 35 cities and counties across the country, and counting.
These programs include mission-based commitments to marginalized youth and people of color, diverse artist-led organizations, and organizations that value youth leadership.
Community partnerships for this program will include the Middletown Art Center, the Soper Reese Theater, Lake County Board of Supervisors, the Lake County Office of Education and the Lake County Library.
Guardado and the LCAC also ask for the support of the entire community. If you are interested in donating to this program, visit https://lakearts.org/joingive/donate/ to learn how to donate.
The inaugural youth poet laureate will receive mentorship from the current poet laureate, and a one-year term in which they will be able to offer workshops, open mics or slam events, and more.
As a partner with Urban Word NYC, the youth poet laureate will also be offered publication of poems in the National Youth Poet Laureate annual anthology (published by Penmanship Books), and will be eligible to apply to be a regional youth poet laureate.
The youth poet laureate also will have access to leadership development and seminars with youth poet laureates across the United States.
For details on eligibility, areas of consideration, and timeline, and to submit an applicant interest form, visit https://lakearts.org/literary/youth-poet-laureate/.
Have questions? Would you like to volunteer to be a part of this process in any way? Email Georgina Marie Guardado at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..