Passion, drive, & leadership
2026-2027 APPLICATIONS OPEN FEBRUARY 1 - 28
The National Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) Competition, championed by Urban Word NYC, identifies influential youth poets with a history of artistic success, civic and community engagement, social justice initiatives, and leadership.
PROGRAM DETAILS
The 2026 Nebraska YPL will receive: $1,000—up to $2,000—towards a community engagement project of their design, year-long guidance from a creative and civic mentor, chapbook under the NWC Press, at least six public readings in Nebraska, and eligibility to participate in the regional and national YPL competitions.
Application instructions
ASL
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Nebraska Writers Collective has named Youth Poets Laureate since 2021. These young people receive resources and opportunities to share their work and expand their impact within their community.
Welcoming youth poets of all backgrounds to apply
We seek applications from young people who demonstrate both artistic excellence in poetry, and a commitment to civic engagement and social justice, as exemplified through a resumé and brief essay.
We welcome poets of all creative dispositions, styles, and backgrounds to apply. We want the YPL program to reflect the diversity of voice and experience in our state.
Traditionally, Youth Poet Laureates are students who have participated in writing programs, achieved various levels of written and social justice success, and are embedded in the leadership of clubs, community and family groups, and organizations.
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By “Literary Excellence,” we mean any written work that employs the tools of the poetic craft. Think music! Think image! Think metaphor and simile, too! This also includes traditional forms (sonnet, villanelle, ghazal, and so on), if that’s how the Youth Poet Laureate applicant chooses to express themselves. We anticipate their work will include passion, strong voice, and intentional use of themes. We want their stories concerning the heart, spirit, and mind. We want their ideas about politics, identity, family, history, and love in all its forms. We’re eager for their musings and reflections on any aspect of the human experience, often occurring at the intersection of any of the previously mentioned topics. Together, we hope their work will help us explore and deepen our common humanity.
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By “Civic Engagement,” we mean any consistent commitment to strengthening and promoting the quality of life in the Youth Poet Laureate applicant’s community or school. They might frequently participate in local theater productions, provide financial support to their family through an after-school job, or collect litter in their neighborhood. By “Social Justice,” we mean examples in the Youth Poet Laureate applicant’s life that display a commitment to equity, inclusivity, activism, and the fundamental right of youth to be outspoken. This might look like political activism, classroom and club participation, volunteerism, as well as various educational and artistic initiatives, such as a public, performance arts showcase to destigmatize mental illness. The possibilities are nearly limitless!
MEET YOUR YOUTH POET LAUREATE
Victoria Bogatz
2025-2026
Victoria Bogatz (she/her) is Nebraska's 5th Youth Poet Laureate. Victoria is a writer, runner, and climate activist based in Bellevue, Nebraska. She currently serves as the Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate and Co-Editor-in-Chief of her school newspaper. Passionate about sustainability and storytelling, Victoria spends her time leading the Green Initiative, competing in speech and track, and proving that poetry is for everyone. Her first published collection of poetry, This Is Not The End, will be available in the summer of 2026.
Previous Nebraska Youth Poets Laureates
Aliyah American Horse
2023-2024
“I strive to become a leader and advocate for Native American communities while helping fight the battle against addiction and mental health stigma through the power of words.”
Tanya Bachu
2022-2023
“I try to write in a way that everyone around me can understand and connect to.”
Mimi Yu
2021-2022
“I am a student determined to use my skills to enrich my community and represent Asian American creatives.”
Miranda Davis
2024-2025
“Creating is such a powerful way to express yourself and to be able to rewrite your story in a way tht you are proud of, in a way that makes you feel strong.”
Meet the 2025 judges
Alice Kang
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Alice J. Kang is a Korean-American resident of Nebraska. She is a professor of Political Science and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her books include Bargaining for Women's Rights: Activism in an Aspiring Muslim Democracy (University of Minnesota Press) and the award-winning Reimagining the Judiciary: Women's Representation on High Courts Worldwide (Oxford University Press). Her co-edited translation of Hadiza Mousa's book, Entre absence et refus d'enfant: Socio-anthropologie de la gestion de la fécondité féminine à Niamey, Niger, from French into English received an honorable mention for the 2025 Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize from African Studies Association's Women's Caucus. She enjoys reading, going to the gym, and learning how the status quo can be changed for the better.
Broc Anderson
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Broc Anderson is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Director of Historic Sites for the Nebraska State Historical Society. He graduated from Chadron State College with his bachelor's in Social Science Education and his master's in History at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. And like the famed author, Mari Sandoz, Broc's work related to the various Native peoples and High Plains historical topics is not only a keen interest, but also a way he has sought to understand himself and where he comes from in Northwest Nebraska.
Broc currently serves on several boards across Nebraska, including the Mari Sandoz Society, Kearney Public Library Foundation, and the Nebraska Museum Association. He is also a speaker on the Humanities Nebraska Speaker's Bureau that highlights the social, economic, and political relationships between the Lakota from Pine Ridge and non-natives in northwest Nebraska during the late nineteenth century before, during, and after the Wounded Knee Massacre. In the Spring 2025 Nebraska History Magazine, Broc's article, The White Clay Extension: Northwest Nebraska and the Pine Ridge Reservation, describes the foundations and establishment of what eventually became Whiteclay, Nebraska.
Lacey Lamar
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Lacey Lamar is an Omaha native who is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her book “You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey” was written with her younger sister Amber Ruffin. Their book also won the Midland’s Author and Goodreads Choice awards. Together they also wrote a second book titled “The World Record Book of Racist Stories”. Lacey and Amber also have a popular podcast called “The Amber and Lacey, Lacey and Amber Show.” Lacey is currently working on her clothing line, art projects and several new books, including a children’s book about bullying.
Luis Othoniel Rosa
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Luis Othoniel Rosa(Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in 1985) studied at the University of Puerto Rico and earned his Ph.D. at Princeton. His next book is a long utopian novel titled El gato en el remolino/ Animal Spiral Scotland: Charco Press, Summer 2026. He is the author of the short novels Otra vez me alejo(2012), Caja de fractales(2017), and Down with Gargamel! (2020), of the bilingual collection of poems, Triste la furia / Sadness, the Fury(2025), of the bilingual artisanal book, Calima(2023), and of the scholarly book, Comienzos para una estética anarquista: Borges con Macedonio(2016; 2020). He is the founding and current head editor of El Roommate: Colectivo de Lectores and a founding member of The LOUDREADERS Trade School. He is the Associate Professor of Spanish and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska.
Dr. DérNecia Phillips
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Dr. DérNecia Phillips is an educator and poet who believes language is a bridge between identity and possibility. With over two decades of experience in classrooms and communities, she has dedicated her work to nurturing youth voice through culturally-affirming education and leadership. As the founder of Identity Preparatory Academy, she centers storytelling as both a pedagogical practice and a form of liberation. Her work reflects a deep commitment to creative expression and community-rooted learning.
Gabriel Jesiolowski
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Gabriel Jesiolowski is a cross-disciplinary writer and artist. Their practice includes a variety of physical and metaphysical approaches that include writing, painting, and photography, as well as collaborations with plants, land and interiors. They are the author of As Burning Leaves.
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