Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL), in collaboration with Urban Word, Watsonville Public Library, Santa Cruz County Office of Education and Arts Council Santa Cruz County, has announced the third year of the Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Program (SCCYPL).
The program provides opportunities for teens across the county to find community as they express themselves in poetry. The SCCYPL program will offer free, drop-in workshops at Santa Cruz Public Libraries and the Watsonville Public Library this fall, with over half of them led by the current Youth Poet Laureate, Finn Maxwell, and other teen poets from the 2025-26 Youth Poet Laureate cohort.
The program offerings culminate in early 2026, with four drop-in sessions focused on developing a portfolio and application to serve as the next Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate (2026-27).
“As the Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Program develops, the cohorts of teen poets continue to take on more and more leadership in leading free events for other teens, including these workshops and special projects at their schools and local communities,” said Farnaz Fatemi, SCCYPL program director. “It is inspiring to watch each of them find ways to bring poetry to more of their peers, and SCCYPL, along with many additional community partners, are here to continue to support these teens’ efforts.”
This year’s program of poetry sessions and workshops, open to all county residents ages 13-18, include:
- Oct. 18, “Poetry, Wartime and Unwieldy Metaphors: Analyzing War Poetry with Teens Finn Maxwell and Mason Leopold,” Felton Library;
- Oct. 22, “Entre Mundos y Metáphoras: Poetry as Remembrance and Release with Teen Poet Noemi Romero” (bilingual), Watsonville Library;
- Oct. 23, “Writing Poetry: Everyday Inspiration with Former Santa Cruz Poet Laureate Farnaz Fatemi,” Scotts Valley Library;
- Nov. 5, “Writing Poems that Change the World with Poet and H.S. English Teacher Hannah Tool,” Branciforte Library;
- Nov. 8, “Saying it Out Loud: Poetry for an Audience with Poet Julia Chiapella,” Aptos Library; and
- Nov. 15, “Making Meaning Take Shape: A Workshop with Teen Poet Sylvi Kayser,” Aptos Library.
Eligible individuals who are passionate about poetry and eager to make a positive impact on their community are encouraged to apply to serve as Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate. Application deadline is March 1, 2026.
For more information, visit sites.google.com/view/santa-cruz-youth-poet-laureate/.
