Oakland opens 2026 Youth Poet Laureate applications, outlining deadlines, eligibility and selection process for teen poets
A citywide poetry program begins its 2026 selection cycle
Oakland has opened the application window for its 2026 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate, a yearlong role that places a local teen poet in a public-facing position representing youth (>13 to 18) and literary arts across the city. The Oakland Youth Poet Laureate program is coordinated through Oakland Public Library Teen Services and is structured as an annual selection process that culminates in the naming of both a Youth Poet Laureate and a Vice Youth Poet Laureate, along with a cohort of finalists.
For the 2026 cycle, the application period runs from Jan. 2 through Feb. 1, 2026. The program year is described as running June to June, and applicants are expected to remain locally available throughout that period and not be enrolled full-time in college for the duration.
Who can apply and what applicants must submit
Eligibility is limited to Oakland residents who are between 13 and 18 years old on the application due date. The library’s program materials emphasize that writers with a wide range of experience levels may apply, from first-time poets to students with performance or publication backgrounds.
The application requires several components, including a packet of three original poems submitted together as a single PDF. Program guidance specifies that the poem PDF must not exceed 10 pages and must not include the applicant’s name, reflecting an anonymous first-round review process.
- Three original poems in a single, name-free PDF (maximum 10 pages)
- An artist statement
- An adult sponsor’s contact information
- Parent or guardian contact information (unless the applicant is 18 by the deadline)
- Optional details on awards, community service, activism, or prior participation in the program
The program also allows teachers and youth workers to submit applications on behalf of young people, with a limit of up to three students per nominating adult, as long as the submission includes complete materials.
How the laureate is selected
Selection is conducted in two rounds. In the first round, submitted poems are scored anonymously on content, craft and voice. Top-scoring applicants advance to a final round in which judges evaluate additional elements including performance and leadership.
Final-round review also incorporates application materials such as a letter of support and the artist statement, and includes a mandatory in-person reading and interview with judges in April. The Youth Poet Laureate is selected based on the highest combined score across both rounds; the Vice Youth Poet Laureate is the second-highest scorer.
Program roles, prizes and recent context
The Youth Poet Laureate serves as a representative of Oakland youth at public and private events and may develop an individual “poet-leader” project during the term. Finalists are also positioned to perform for Oakland audiences through the program’s events and requests for readings, talks and workshops.
The program’s structure includes recognition for finalists, and separate laureate and vice laureate designations determined through a scored selection process.
In the most recent completed selection, the Oakland Public Library announced Cael Dueñas-Lara as the 2025 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate on June 7, 2025, following a live event in which finalists performed. The program materials describe a $5,000 scholarship associated with the laureate title and $500 prizes for finalists.
For applicants and families tracking the 2026 timeline, the key dates are the Jan. 2 application opening, the Feb. 1 deadline, and the in-person finalist reading and interview period scheduled for April, ahead of the June-to-June service year.