Central Valley Youth Poetry Anthology

Share your voice. Tell your story. Be part of the Central Valley.

The Central Valley Youth Poetry Anthology celebrates the poems, perspectives, and experiences of young people in Stanislaus County.

We invite high-school-age poets to submit one or two original poems for possible publication in the anthology. Poems may be written in any style or form and may be submitted in English, Spanish, or another language.

This project is presented by Valentina Zeff, Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate 2025-2027, and the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, which administers the Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate program.

Who may submit?

You may submit if you:

• Are a high-school age teen;
• Live in Stanislaus County or attend school in Stanislaus County; and
• Wrote the poem(s) yourself.

You do not have to be currently enrolled in school to participate. Homeschooled students, students in alternative educational programs, and young people who are not currently enrolled are welcome to submit if they live in or participate in an educational program in Stanislaus County.

Students who are 13 years old and in ninth grade, as well as students who are 19 years old and still attending high school, are eligible.

There is no submission fee.

What kind of poetry can I submit?

We welcome original poetry in any style or format, including:

• Free verse
• Spoken-word poetry
• Song lyrics
• Haiku
• Narrative poetry
• Blackout poetry
• Visual or concrete poetry
• Poems written in languages other than English

Please do not submit poems written or partially generated by artificial intelligence. Your submission must be your own original work.

Each poem must:

• Be between 5 and 40 lines;
• Be submitted by the poet who wrote it; and
• Be uploaded or pasted without your name or other identifying information on the page.

Anthology themes

Choose the category that best describes the poem’s central subject, feeling, or perspective. (Your poem does not have to be written specifically for one of these themes.)

Place

Poems about the places that shape us, including neighborhoods, homes, schools, farms, fields, rivers, landscapes, the environment, and the Central Valley.

Identity

Poems about who we are and how we understand ourselves, including family history, language, heritage, race, ethnicity, gender, age, belonging, and personal experience.

Culture

Poems about the traditions, practices, celebrations, foods, music, art, stories, beliefs, and everyday experiences that connect people to a culture or community.

Connection

Poems about relationships and the ways people connect with one another, including friendship, family, love, community, loneliness, solidarity, and shared experience.

Imagine/Reimagine

Poems that envision change or imagine what could be different. This category may include poems about justice, activism, equality, hope, resistance, transformation, future worlds, and visions for a better community.

Category awards

One poem from each theme category will be selected as that category’s winning poem.

Each author of winning poems will receive a $50 award. There will be five category awards in total:

• Place
• Identity
• Culture
• Connection
• Imagine/Reimagine

A poem may be selected for publication without receiving a category award. Likewise, a winning poem will be included in the anthology.

Submission requirements

Each poet may submit up to two poems.

For each poem, you will be asked to provide:

• The poem’s title;
• The theme category;
• The poem as a file upload or pasted text;
• Your name and contact information; and
• The information needed to confirm your eligibility.

You may submit both poems in the same form. Each poem must be entered separately and must have its own title, theme category, and poem text or file. Again, please make sure uploaded poems do not include your name.

How to submit

Starting Friday, November 6, you can complete the online submission form below:

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Before submitting, please make sure that:

1. Your poem is between 5 and 40 lines.
2. Your poem is your own original work.
3. You have selected a theme category for each poem.
4. You have included a working email address.
5. You have reviewed your poem for spelling, formatting, and completeness.

After you submit the form, you should receive a confirmation message. Please save that confirmation for your records. If you do not receive confirmation, contact us at ypl@mostpoetry.org.

What happens after I submit?

The anthology process includes the following steps:

1. Submission: You submit one or two poems through the online form.
2. Eligibility review: Adult reviewers confirm that submissions meet the basic eligibility and format requirements.
3. Poetry review: Eligible poems are reviewed by readers. Whenever possible, identifying information is removed during the poetry-review process.
4. Selection: Poems are selected for inclusion based on their strength, originality, voice, craft, and contribution to the anthology as a whole.
5. Notification: Poets whose work is selected will be contacted by email.
6. Publication and celebration: Selected poems will appear in the YPL Youth Poetry Anthology. Contributors will be invited to participate in a reading and celebration of the anthology.

Submitting a poem does not guarantee publication. The editors may select all, some, or none of a poet’s submitted poems.

Important dates

• Submissions open: November 6, 2026
• Submission deadline: December 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
• Poets notified: February 2027
• Anthology publication: April 2027
• Anthology reading and celebration: Date to be announced

Copyright and permissions

Poets retain copyright to their work.

By submitting a poem, you give the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center permission to consider the poem for publication in the Youth Poetry Anthology and related anthology activities. If your poem is selected, you will be asked to confirm permission for its reproduction, publication, display, performance, recording, and sharing in connection with the anthology and its public programs. Your name will be credited with your work.

Any permission related to photographs, publicity, or public appearances will be handled separately. Parent or guardian permission may be required for selected poets who are minors.

Questions?

For questions about eligibility, submissions, or the anthology, contact:

ypl@mostpoetry.org

The Youth Poetry Anthology is a project of the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center and the Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate program.