Tarrant County Youth Poet Laureate
Tarrant County College (TCC) Trinity River Campus will host the Tarrant County Youth
Poet Laureate competition for Tarrant County.
Our Tarrant County winner will have the opportunity to move forward in the contest and apply for the regional competition in Fall 2026. If they advance, they will be a regional ambassador who competes for nationals.
Regional ambassadors are announced in January each year, and the National Youth Poet Laureate is announced in late April or early May.
Description
The Youth Poet Laureate title is held in the United States by a young person who demonstrates skill in the arts, particularly poetry and spoken word. The candidate is a strong leader committed to social justice and active in civic discourse and advocacy. Urban Word, the founder of The National Youth Poet laureate initiative, is an organization that provides free literary arts education and youth development programs.
Eligibility
Open to anyone who is between the ages of 13 and 19.
Application
Please complete a Youth Poet Laureate Application and upload your resume/cv and a minimum of three poems. You also have the option to include a video link.
Deadline
Friday, June 19, 2026
Commencement Information
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.
Location: TCC Trinity River, Energy Auditorium, TRTR 4008 (see campus map)
Meet Our Current Laureate
Last September, Jenny Chu was named the 2025 Tarrant County Youth Poet Laureate. She is a Chinese-American poet currently studying at the Hockaday School.
Jenny is the founder and editor-in-chief of Rosetta Literary Magazine. Her work has been nationally recognized by YoungArts and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Additionally, she is a 2025 alumna of the Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship and the Iowa Young Writers' Studio.
Past Laureates
2024
Eliza Stubblefield is the 2024 Tarrant County Youth Poet Laureate. Eliza loves the humanities, history, and the environment, which inspire her poetry. She enjoys volunteering in the community and sharing her passion with others, especially children. Eliza hopes to continue writing and become a published author.
2023
April Lynn Pelton is a teen author, poet, and the first Youth Poet Laureate of Tarrant County. She has loved reading since she was 2 and discovered her passion for writing in elementary school. April’s philosophy is to use your gifts to bless others, give your best in all you do, and pursue your dreams relentlessly. Read more about April on TCC News.
Contact
Updated April 09, 2026