PRESS RELEASE

The Long Beach Public Library (LBPL), in partnership with the Arts Council for Long Beach and supported by Urban Word NYC, is launching the inaugural Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) program, after two years of planning and a long pause due to the pandemic. Applications for the program, which brings Long Beach youth the opportunity to enact positive change in their communities through their activism and art, open Jan. 10 to Long Beach residents ages 13 to 18. 

“We must continue to uplift youth voices as their insights can only strengthen us as a community,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “The Youth Poet Laureate program provides Long Beach youth with a platform that promotes literacy and creativity, while inspiring people of all ages throughout all of our neighborhoods and beyond.” 

The YPL program, which began in New York in 2008, has expanded to more than 70 communities across the nation. YPL participants from around the country have gone on to compete in national poetry competitions, start independently-owned publishing presses and most notably, as seen with Amanda Gorman, perform at a presidential inauguration. 

The application period for the inaugural Long Beach YPL program will open at 8 a.m. on Jan. 10 and close on Feb. 21 at 11:59 p.m. Youth interested in applying are asked to submit a YPL Application, Curriculum Vitae noting their civic and social engagement experience and a portfolio of five poems. Templates and submission guidelines as well as additional program information is available on the YPL webpage. To assist in the application process, in early February, LBPL will host a series of workshops throughout the city, led by Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate Jessica Kim, to guide applicants through the process of compiling their Curriculum Vitae and portfolio. Applicants with questions may email Kiana Martin at kiana.martin@lbpl.org or attend Poet Hour, a virtual office hour in which one-on-one assistance is provided. 

Submissions will be judged by a panel of local working poets and finalists will be notified by March 21, 2023. Four finalists will be invited to read at a culminating public event in April 2023 where the title of Youth Poet Laureate will be announced. The selected Poet Laureate will receive a $1,500 scholarship, and the three Poet Ambassador runners-up, will each receive a $500 scholarship. Altogether, the YPL Cohort will engage Long Beach youth in literary-arts programming for one year, beginning May 2023 and ending in April 2024. In addition to the scholarship, the YPL Cohort will be provided with the mentorship and resources needed to bring their community projects and vision of Long Beach’s future to life. These resources will include access to LBPL’s facilities and staff as well as support from community organizations and the local literary-arts community. By the end of the program year in April 2024, the YPL Cohort will have created a citywide literary initiative and have made personal connections with organizations and individual partners throughout the city. 

“As an advocate of language, literature and culture, Long Beach Public Library is eager and prepared to help equip local youth with the tools necessary to craft and carry their creative legacies into the future,” said Library Director Cathy De Leon. 

“Poetry is more than words. It is the creative effort to use expressive language and find a way to a person's mind, heart and soul,” said  Arts Council Executive Director Griselda Suárez. “The Youth Poet Laureate program will change the city by way of young imagination. This is a much needed art form at this time.” 

For more information, please visit the LBPL website or call 562.570.7500. 

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program. 

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 

About Long Beach Public Library
Long Beach Public Library, founded in 1896, serves a diverse urban city of close to half a million people. The Long Beach Public Library system includes Main Library and eleven neighborhood libraries and a vibrant online presence. In summer of 2017, the Long Beach Public Library was awarded the National Medal for Library and Museum Services in recognition of successful community-collaborations, innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and literacy-focused programs to the residents of Long Beach. With an emphasis on providing free and equal access to information and support for learning for a lifetime, the Library offers books, media, databases, Internet access, Family Learning Centers, makerspaces, and a variety of events ranging from story times to cultural programs.   

For more information, visit longbeach.gov/library, “Like” the Long Beach Public Library on Facebook, and follow along on Twitter and Instagram.   

About Arts Council for Long Beach
Arts Council for Long Beach is a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that promotes, advocates for and helps fund the arts. Our mission is to foster creativity and culture, enliven communities and enable a thriving creative economy. For more information visit artslb.org. 

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