Applications are open for the WHAM Art Center’s 2025-2026 West Valley Youth Poet Laureate competition.

This program celebrates young poets and their contributions to the arts, fostering creative expression and leadership among West Valley youth.

“This marks our third-year honoring youth poetry in the West Valley,” Maggie Gautier, WHAM’s literary arts manager, shared in a press release. “We are thrilled to partner with Danielle Edgerton, the Curriculum Specialist for the Dysart School District. Her involvement will help spread the word to students in the Dysart School.”

The West Valley Youth Poet Laureate will have the opportunity to collaborate with various city arts and culture commissions, including Surprise, Peoria, Buckeye, Glendale, Avondale, and Goodyear. In addition, local high school districts will be engaged in this initiative, providing greater exposure for young poets.

The program is designed for youth who are passionate about writing and leadership. Participants will refine their writing skills through public speaking and recitation opportunities while gaining leadership experience through civic engagement.

The selected Laureate will be invited to speak at special events and work closely with WHAM to promote poetry and artistic expression throughout the community.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicants must be between the ages of 14-17.
• Residency in one of the following West Valley cities is required: Avondale, Buckeye, El Mirage, Gila Bend, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Peoria, Sun City, Surprise, Tolleson, Wickenburg, or Youngtown.
• A complete application must include contact information, a short essay response, and a creative writing sample consisting of 3-5 poems.

Every applicant will have the opportunity for their work to be published in a chapbook and an anthology with other poems submitted by the poets who attend the monthly Open Mic Night, held on the third Friday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

How to Apply:

Interested youth can access the application by visiting www.wham-art.org/wvypl. The deadline for submissions is by midnight, Sunday, April 13.

The performance and award ceremony will take place at WHAM Art Center, 16560 N. Dysart Road, in Surprise, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 2.

Email Gautier at Maggie.gautier@wham-art.org for more information.

Founded in 2006, the nonprofit WHAM Art Association is committed to supporting and promoting art awareness in the West Valley through exhibits, art walks, public art, festivals, art education and instructional art classes.

Olivia Hanson is the reigning West Valley Youth Poet Laureate.

(Photo provided by WHAM Art Center)