We are thrilled to announce that Vanessa Y. Niu, a high school senior from New York City, was named the 2025-2026 New York State Youth Poet Laureate at the National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement on May 2nd. The runner-up is Aarna Tyagi, a high school junior from Jericho, NY. They were selected among 50 young poets, ages 13-19, from across the state who applied for the honor.
“Over the next year, I’m excited to connect with people through the offering of poetry,” Vanessa stated, “intimate pieces of myself, scrimshaw I’m bringing back as a memento of what it’s like to live today as part of an Asian-American culture that is still learning about its own beauty and joy.”
T&W offers the New York State Youth Poet Laureate program in partnership with the National Youth Poet Laureate Program founded by Urban Word. The title of Youth Poet Laureate recognizes both poetic excellence and demonstrated commitment to civic engagement. Applications were reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges, supported by Urban Word staff: Nassau County Poet Laureate Alan Semerdjian, 2024 National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco, and Teachers & Writers Collaborative Executive Director Asari Beale.
Alan Semerdjian described the strength of Vanessa’s poetry: “Vanessa Niu's deft and imaginative explorations of self and identity are invitations for all of us to contemplate our own tethers and how to release them and how poetry is the vessel for this human voyage. Her compositions are masterful in their design and execution.”
Along with the official title of NYS Youth Poet Laureate and a cash prize of $500, Vanessa will have performance and learning opportunities and the chance to apply to be the National Youth Poet Laureate.
About Vanessa Y. Niu:
Vanessa Y. Niu is a writer and classical mezzo-soprano from New York City. Her writing has been recognized by the Kennedy Center, Teen Vogue, the Guggenheim, and NYFW. She is a 2025 Best New Poets nominee, a two time Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, Adroit Prize for Poetry 2024 Finalist, and commended Foyle Young Poet. She’s been published in Frontier Poetry, Up the Staircase Quarterly, The Adroit Journal, The Harvard Advocate, and more. Off the lined page, her work has been set to music in collaborations with Juilliard and Interlochen composers. She is in the graduating class at Special Music School in New York City and an incoming student at Princeton University.
Congratulations to all of the students who shared their work with us and to all of the finalists for the2025-26 New York State Youth Poet Laureate!
Kai Giovanni
Kyla Guimaraes
Hoshiko Hsu
Kassidy Khuu
Adelaide Sendlenski
Aarna Tyagi
Poet applications were reviewed on the basis of two criteria: poetic excellence and demonstrated commitment to civic engagement. Applications were reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges, supported by Urban Word staff:
Alan Semerdjian, the Nassau County Poet Laureate
Stephanie Pacheco, the National Youth Poet Laureate
Asari Beale, Executive Director of Teachers & Writers Collaborative
Are you a young poet between the ages of 13-19?
Are you interested in finding new ways to be a leader in your community?
Applications for the next New York State Youth Poet Laureate will open in Spring 2026! The National Youth Poet Laureate Program aims to identify young writers and leaders committed to creating change through civic engagement and poetic excellence. Teachers & Writers Collaborative partners with Urban Word on the Youth Poet Laureate program in New York State.
Along with the official title and a cash prize of $500, the NYS Youth Poet Laureate gets both high-level performance and learning opportunities and the chance to apply to be the National Youth Poet Laureate. They will join a community of other talented young poets, including Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate (2017), who read her poetry at the 2021 Presidential inauguration!
Learn more about the rules and eligibility here.
TIMELINE
February 2026
The next application period will open February 2025. Check this page again for a link to the submission form.
April 2026
The top 10 submissions will be reviewed by a panel of distinguished poets and writers. The New York State Youth Poet Laureate will be announced in April 2025.
Fall 2026
The New York State Youth Poet Laureate will be eligible to apply to be the National Youth Poet Laureate in the fall of 2025 and each year until they turn 19.
Who is eligible to apply to be the New York State Youth Poet Laureate?
- Anyone age 13-19 (at the time of submission) living in New York State
When and how can poets apply?
- Eligible poets can apply beginning February 2026. A link will be available on this page to submit a portfolio online.
- Submission Materials include:
- Contact information
- A portfolio of 3 poems in a PDF or Word Doc
- Resume/curriculum vitae (CV) information. In order to collect the CV/resume information, there are text fields for contestants to “celebrate themselves” and enter information regarding school and extracurricular participation, community and civic engagement, awards and accolades, and more. Uploading a CV or resume document is no longer required.
- There are also additional survey questions that help Urban Word develop a better understanding of the young people they serve. These questions will not affect applicant scores.
What can I do now to prepare for the application?
- Work on writing, revising, and polishing so you will have 3 finished poems by the next application period.
- Think about the ways you are engaged in your community: Do you volunteer? Do you lead a club at your school? Are you civically engaged in some way? These will be good things to list on your CV.
What does the New York State Youth Poet Laureate win?
- During the summer of 2026, the NYS Youth Poet Laureate will join other Youth Poets Laureate in a series of activities offered by Urban Word, including:
- Online Youth Poet Laureate summer camp, including writing workshops with celebrated poets and activism training
- Regional readings with other Youth Poets Laureate
- In addition, the NYS Youth Poet Laureate will receive:
- $500 cash prize and a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine
- Eligibility to apply to be the National Youth Poet Laureate in Fall 2024 and each year until they turn 19
- The opportunity to give readings of their work once or more throughout the year, including at the New York State Poetry Out Loud final event, March 2027.
Does the New York State Youth Poet Laureate have any responsibilities?
- The Laureate will be asked to read at the NYC Poetry Out Loud final event (March 2026) and at the announcement of the 2026 NYS Youth Poet Laureate, April 2026. If travel is required, the expenses will be covered by Teachers & Writers Collaborative.
- The Laureate may be asked to read at other events hosted by Teachers & Writers Collaborative. Participation in these is optional, but they will be great opportunities for the Laureate to engage with the literary arts community.
Past New York State Youth Poet Laureates
OlaRose Ndubuisi - 2024-25
Stephanie Pacheco - 2023-24
