Five teen poets — Sylvi Kayser, Aptos High School, Mason Leopold, San Lorenzo Valley High School, Finn Maxwell, San Lorenzo Valley High School, Noemi Romero, Pajaro Valley High School, and Xander Shulman, Santa Cruz High School — are finalists to become the 2025-26 Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate.
Sylvi Kayser
The announcement will have come Thursday, April 17, at Cabrillo College’s Samper Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
The Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate program is organized in partnership with the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Santa Cruz County Office of Education and the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County.
The event will celebrate teen poets, with poetry readings from the outgoing Youth Poet Laureate Dina Lusztig Noyes, other members of the outgoing cohort, and the five 2025-26 finalists. Free food and refreshments donated from community vendors will be available beforehand.
All are welcome and encouraged to reserve their seat at https://tinyurl.com/SCC-Youth-Poet-celeb-tkts.
Parking is free.
The 2025-26 finalists were selected after an application process over the last few months, one which included optional drop-in workshops supported by the Santa Cruz Public Libraries and the Watsonville Library.
Program judges read the entire applicant pool, selected the finalists by committee and met with each finalist to hear them read.
The 2025-26 Youth Poet Laureate will serve a one-year term and receive a $500 cash prize. Each of the finalists will receive $100 in honor of their achievements in poetry and community engagement, along with prizes donated by Two Birds Books in Capitola.
Members of the 2024-25 cohort say the program has been invaluable. Madeline Aliah says it gave her “access to…networking opportunities to put momentum into my social justice career.”
Youth Poet Laureate Dina Lusztig Noyes reflects, “I have been able to run workshops, help create a youth anthology that gives a voice to my peers, and connect with fellow poets on a level I never could’ve without the program.”
The Youth Poet Laureate acts as an advocate and county ambassador for poetry, social action and civic engagement, with the opportunity to champion their own poetic practice while encouraging their peers through readings, workshops and appearances at events throughout the county.
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More information is available at: https://sites.google.com/view/santa-cruz-youth-poet-laureate/home?authuser=0
TOP PHOTO: Youth Poet Laureate Dina Lusztig Noyez (center) with the 2024 finalists.