Rhode Island Center for the Book and Poet Laureate Tina Cane Announce RI Youth Poetry Ambassador Initiative 2018

Rhode Island Poet Laureate, Tina Cane, and the Rhode Island Center for the Book, at the Rhode Island Council on the Humanities, are partnering to launch the Rhode Island Youth Poetry Ambassador initiative. This program will establish a youth poetry advocate position to be filled by a high school student (grades 9-12) who lives in Rhode Island. The 2018 application period takes place between January 2nd and February 1st.

This initiative is designed to bring more poetry directly to our state’s youth and to inspire young people through example. Just as the State Poet Laureate position affirms Rhode Island’s support of poetry, the Youth Poetry Ambassador is meant to validate and support the creative potential of our young people.

RI Poet Laureate, Tina Cane, will choose the winner in a submissions process along
with poets Sussy Santana and Sawako Nakayasu, who will serve as this year’s guest
judges. The state’s first Youth Poetry Ambassador will be announced in early April 2018,

National Poetry Month
A celebration and group reading will take place in late April 2018 at the State House
Library and will be free and open to the public.
The selected Youth Poetry Ambassador have the following opportunities–contingent
upon the student’s ability and availability:

• a $250 cash prize
• a guest-writer spot in the Providence Journal “Second Sunday” Poet Laureate
  column
• the opportunity to have his/her poetry featured through the Poetry in Motion, RI
  on RIPTA busses state-wide
• an Instagram account to manage as RI Youth Poetry Ambassador through which
  to share with RI youth visual prompts for poetry writing and poetry items of
  interest
• an October reading with other youth at a Providence Community Library branch
  or at another Rhode Island library branch
• an opportunity to record an episode for Poetry Dose, the poetry podcast produced
  by Atticus Allen and Tina Cane
• a trip (or two) on Providence Community Library’s Bookmobile to meet, greet and
  share poetry with youth from around the city

To be considered, applicants must submit the following materials, via email or post,
between January 2, 2018 and February 1, 2018:

• a one or two-paragraph statement on why s/he would like to be considered for this
  position
• a letter of support from a teacher or librarian
• a letter of support from a peer
• two original poems

To apply, contact:
Kate Lentz, Director of Rhode Island Center for the Book
at kate@ribook.org

or by mail at
Rhode Island Center for the Book
131 Washington Street, Suite 210
Providence, RI 02903
Attn: Kate