Bucks County Community College is calling on creative young people to enter the 35th annual Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contest for the chance to win $300.
Students have until Friday, March 11 to submit three original poems. The contest is open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors who live in Bucks County or attend a Bucks County high school. Home-schooled students may also enter. Previous winners are not eligible.
In addition to the prize money, the winner receives a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners and the opportunity to read at a public reception. Runners-up and finalists in the contest will also be invited to read at the event.
“Entering the High School Poet of the Year contest may give students a chance to discover and develop a talent they may not have realized they had,” said Dr. Ethel Rackin, director of the Bucks County Poet Laureate Program, which runs the contest, and a language and literature professor at Bucks.
Rackin added that participating in the public poetry reading may help a student stand out in the college search.
“Mentioning the contest, public reading and anthology on college applications will demonstrate initiative, writing skills and public speaking experience,” she said. “Clearly, there’s a lot to gain from entering this contest.”
Each participant must submit three original poems with an application form at bucksedu.wufoo.com/forms/high-school-poet-of-the-year-entry/. The contest will be judged by the current Bucks County Poet Laureate Nicole Steinberg and the former poet laureate Jane Edna Mohler. Email [email protected] with any questions.
