Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center

Contest Deadline: Chaparral Poets
2021-01-31
The Annual Contest for the California Federation of Chaparral Poets is open! The entry fee is free for members, and $5 per poem for non-members. Submissions must be postmarked or e-mailed by midnight, January 31, 2021.
For more information, please visit the contest website!

City of Modesto Poets Corner Contest Deadline
2022-03-18
The Poets Corner Poetry Contest is sponsored by the Modesto Poets’ Corner Committee, a subcommittee of the Modesto Culture Commission.
WHO MAY ENTER
Poets of any age who reside in Stanislaus County*
GENERAL: Any kind of poetry on any subject, rhymed or
unrhymed. Free verse and form welcome. Group of three haiku
accepted as one entry.
SPECIAL: Gratitude and Hope: How can we be grateful and
hopeful in these challenging times? How could we be open to our
need to discover and share hope and chances for joy? How do we
create time and space to care about being alive? What might happen
with gratitude and hope?
Deadline
Entries must be postmarked by Friday, March 18, 2022 or submitted electronically by 11:59 pm on Friday, March 18, 2022.

WINNERS
Winners will be notified by email (or mail, when email is unavailable.)
Poets will be invited to read their winning poems on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 1:00 P.M. at the McHenry Museum, followed by light refreshments.
All building uses are subject to COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. All uses are subject to change and may be canceled or adjusted at owner’s discretion for compliance. Winning poems will be collected in a booklet. Each winner will receive a booklet, and a copy will be added to the Poets’ Bookshelf at the McHenry Museum.
PLEASE GO TO the City of Modesto’s Poets’ Corner Page for the entry form and full submission instructions.

Deadline for STANISLAUS COUNTY YOUTH POET LAUREATE Contest
2023-02-27 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles)
Please check our YOUTH POET LAUREATE Contest page for all the details plus application.
Applications for the 2023 Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate open January 1, 2023!

Are you a teen? Are you SUPER into poetry? We want to hear from you!
Introducing the Inaugural process to choose a Youth Poet Laureate for Stanislaus County!
Teens ages 15–19 who reside or go to school in Stanislaus County may submit up to five original works of poetry demonstrating their commitment to the mastery of the art and craft of poetry.
RULES:
● Poems may be in any style or form.
● You must submit at least 3 poems but no more than five poems.
● Poems must be the original creative work of the poet. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification from this and all future Youth Poet Laureate opportunities.
● All poems must be typed. Single or double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman preferred unless the poem’s form dictates the format (example: blackout poetry, erasures, visual poetry, spoken word, etc.)
● Brief artist statement/biography describing why you want to be a Youth Poet Laureate. Who inspired you to write poetry?
● No gratuitous violence or sexual content. No hate speech. No slander.
Submission Dates:
SUBMIT APPLICATION
JANUARY 1 – FEBRUARY 27, 2023.
Email PDF application and poem attachment per instructions on application.

IF SELECTED, POET:

will receive $500
serve a one-year term from June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024
must be available for public appearances throughout Stanislaus County
must either live in or be enrolled in a school in Stanislaus County at time of submission and for the entire term if chosen
must attest that their work is solely their own original creative work
will work with a mentor from the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center; display their poems in the Young Adult section of the Modesto Library and elsewhere; and will mentor others;
will write at least 3 poems during their term and present these at events to be decided

will be asked to participate in at least two poetry events in the community focusing on engaging other youth in poetry. Examples of these possible Youth Poet Laureate activities are as follows:

If they’d like to create a poetry-related project of their own, the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center will offer assistance/support;
feature at a reading as part of the Second Tuesday Reading Series at the end of their term; and/or
write a poem for the City of Modesto’s Poet’s Corner event.

Deadline: City of Modesto Poet's Corner Contest
2023-03-24
The Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department and the City of Modesto’s Poet’s Corner Committee are pleased to offer an Annual Poets’ Corner Contest. Please view the Poet’s Corner Contest Submission Form for full details.
Submissions
Poems will not be returned after the contest, so entrants should keep copies of their work.
Electronic Submissions

Include one cover page with poet’s name, address, email and title(s) of poem(s). If poet is a student, then indicate grade, school and name of teacher on the cover page.
Submit cover page and poem/poems in one file in .doc, .docx or .pdf format to the Poets Corner Contest Submission Email.

Mailed Submissions
Submit one copy of each poem along with one entry form for each poet to one of the following locations:

Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center, C/O Poet’s Corner Contest, PO Box 578940, Modesto, CA, 95353
McHenry Museum, C/O Poet’s Corner Contest,1402 I Street, Modesto, CA, 95354

Printed Entry Form and Contest Rules
May be picked up at the following locations:

Parks, Recreation & Neighborhoods Department Office – 1010 Tenth Street Place, Suite 4400
McHenry Museum – 1402 I Street
McHenry Mansion Visitor’s Center and Gift Shop – 924 15th Street
Stanislaus County Library – 1500 I Street

Deadline
Entries must be postmarked by Friday, March 24, 2023 or submitted electronically by 11:59 pm on Friday, March 24, 2023.
Requirements
The contest is open to all Stanislaus County residents.
Categories

General: Any kind of poetry on any subject, rhymed or unrhymed. Free verse and form welcome. Group of three haiku accepted as one entry.
Special: “Renewal: How do we restore and renew ourselves and our community after years of pandemic? How do we individually and collectively allow ourselves the space to mourn and feel what has been lost while holding optimism and being open to possibility? What might renewal look like in nature, ourselves, our families, and our communities? What does it feel like to be hopeful, imagine a better world, and create the future?”

Entry Limitations

Two poems per person
Each poem may not exceed 32 lines
All entries must be typed on standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper, double-spaced, in standard font
Entries must be unpublished at the time of submission
Entries may be two of one category or one of each category
At the top of each poem, indicate contest category and, if under the age of 18, grade in school
Do not put name of poet on any submitted poem: put name on cover page or entry form only
No plagiarism or offensive language.

Contest Winners
Contest winners will be notified by email (or mail, when email is unavailable). Poets will be invited to read their winning poems on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 1:00 PM at the McHenry Museum, followed by light refreshments.
Winning poems will be printed in a booklet that will be placed in the Poets’ Bookshelf, which contains published works by local writers and will be kept at the McHenry Museum. Each winner will receive a copy of the booklet.

City of Modesto Poet's Corner Reading/Reception
2023-06-04 13:00 - 15:00 | McHenry Museum, 1402 14th St, Modesto, CA, 95354, United States
Join us at McHenry Museum on Sunday, June 4 at 1 pm for a reading featuring the winners of the 2023 Poet’s Corner Contest, sponsored by the City of Modesto.
For contest information, please visit the City of Modesto Poet’s Corner page. (Contest info will be updated soon.)

Poetry Out Loud - Informational Meetings on Zoom
2023-10-25 14:30 - 17:00 | Zoom
Bring Poetry Out Loud to your school!
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry Recitation Contest for high
school students that starts at the school level with students
memorizing and reciting poems. School winners move on to the
county contest run by Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center in early
February 2024. The finalist there goes on to the state contest in
Sacramento in March, 2024.
Please attend one of these informational Zoom meetings to find out
more: Wednesday, October 25 at 2:45 and at 3:45. (Same meeting,
two different times for your convenience.)
https://us02web.zoom.us/i/87048923866?
pwd=[REDACTED]
This link can also be found at www.mostpoetry.org, the website of
Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center. Contact us with any questions.

Deadline to apply for Youth Poet Laureate
2024-01-27
Young poets: Don’t forget to apply for the Youth Poet Laureate contest by January 27, 2024. Open to poets ages 15-19 who live or attend school in Stanislaus County and who will reside in the area through the youth poet laureate term (June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025). All details at the Youth Poet Laureate contest page.
Deadline is 11:59 pm on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

Aileen Jaffa Contest Awards Ceremony
2024-05-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Carnegie Arts Center, 250 N. Broadway, Turlock, CA, 95380, United States
Join us at the Carnegie Arts Center on Saturday, May 11 at 2:00 pm to celebrate our youth contest winners! Presented by the North American League of American Pen Women, Modesto Branch, in partnership with MoSt Poetry.

City of Modesto Poets' Corner Reading & Reception
2024-05-19 13:00 - 15:30 | McHenry Museum, 1402 14th St, Modesto, CA, 95354, United States
Join us at the McHenry Museum for a reception and reading for the annual Poets’ Corner contest.
When: Sunday, May 19, 2024
Where: McHenry Museum
Time: 1:00 pm
A copy of the Poets’ Corner anthology will be available to contributors.
Presented by the City of Modesto with assistance from the Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center

City of Modesto Poets' Corner contest deadline
2025-04-04
The Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department and the City of Modesto’s Poets’ Corner Committee are pleased to offer an Annual Poets’ Corner Contest.

Entries Due byFriday, April 4, 2025.

Contest Winners

Winners will be notified by email (or mail, when email is unavailable.)

Poets will be invited to read their winning poems on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 1:00 P.M. at the McHenry Museum, followed by light refreshments.

Winning poems will be printed in a booklet that will be placed in the Poets’ Bookshelf, which contains published works by local writers and will be kept at the McHenry Museum. Each winner will receive a copy of the booklet.

Who May Enter

Rules

Submissions

Deadline

Poets of any age who reside in Stanislaus County

General: Any kind of poetry on any subject, unrhymed or rhymed. Free verse and formal poetry is welcome. Group of three haiku accepted as one entry.

Special: The Natural World — beautiful, destructive, sustaining. Write about nature — the wildness of it, the beauty of it, how it inspires and moves us, or how it can destroy with thoughtless abandon.

City of Modesto Poets' Corner Reading & Reception
2025-06-01 13:00 - 15:00 | McHenry Museum, 1402 14th St, Modesto, CA, 95354, United States
The Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department and the City of Modesto’s Poets’ Corner Committee are pleased to offer an Annual Poets’ Corner Contest.
Contest Winners
Poets will be invited to read their winning poems on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 1:00 P.M. at the McHenry Museum, followed by light refreshments.
Winning poems will be printed in a booklet that will be placed in the Poets’ Bookshelf, which contains published works by local writers and will be kept at the McHenry Museum. Each winner will receive a copy of the booklet.
Winners will be notified by email (or mail, when email is unavailable.)
For more info go to https://www.modestogov.com/558/Poets-Corner-Contest

Mini Workshop for Teen Poets: How to Write a Tiny Poem
2025-12-13 13:00 - 13:30
Woven Words Tiny Poem Contest: Teen Voices from the Central Valley, presented by MoSt Poetry’s Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate program, is now open for submissions from Stanislaus County high school students grades 9-12.
Poets are invited to submit 1-3 very short poems (3-5 lines). The contest is free and open to anyone living in or attending high schools in Stanislaus County.
The author of the winning poem in each of the five categories wins $50. Poets are also invited to submit poems to the anthology without connecting them to the contest themes. The contest deadline is January 31, 2026. Stanislaus County YPL Valentina Zeff will weave the short submissions together to create one book-length poem, to be published as an anthology and distributed to participants.
Zeff will be conducting a mini-workshop on writing a tiny poem and will discuss the contest on Saturday, December 13, 202, at 1:00 pm on Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81498958531
The Stanislaus Youth Poet Laureate program is presented by MoSt Poetry in partnership with SCOE, Stanislaus County Library, MJC’s School of Language Arts & Education and the Library & Learning Center, and the Stanislaus Library Foundation.

Mini-Workshop for Teens: Write a Tiny Poem - Contest Deadline Jan. 31
2026-01-17 13:00 - 14:00
Mini Workshop & Youth Poet Laureate Q & A
Valentina Zeff, current Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate, answers your questions!
Teens are invited to join Valentina on Zoom on one (or both!) of these two dates: Saturday, January 17 and Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Valentina shares great tips on how to write a tiny poem for the Woven Words Teen Contest.
Then you can easily submit your poems to our contest! Deadline for that is January 31, 2026.
Feel free to drop in and meet Valentina and learn about the Woven Words: Teen Voices from the Central Valley Anthology.

January 17 Zoom Meeting
January 24 Zoom Meeting

Write a Tiny Poem Workshop Postponed until February--date TBA
2026-01-31 13:00 - 14:00
Mini Workshop & Youth Poet Laureate Q & A

Zoom workshop has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstance. Please return to this page to see future workshops during the month of February!
WOVEN WORDS Youth Poetry Contest deadline extended: February 28, 2026.

Valentina Zeff, current Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate, answers your questions!

Join us on Saturday, January 24, 2026 January 31, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. as Youth Poet Laureate Valentina Zeff shares tips on how to write a tiny poem for the Woven Words Teen Contest.

Then you can easily submit your poems to our contest!

Feel free to drop in and meet Valentina and learn about the Woven Words: Teen Voices from the Central Valley Anthology and how you can submit poems for the contest.

Write a Tiny Poem: Workshop with Youth Poet Laureate Valentina Zeff
2026-02-28 13:00 | Zoom
Tiny Poem Workshop With Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate Valentina Zeff. All are welcome!
Learn how to write a tiny poem + enjoy a Q&A with the Youth Poet Laureate. Find out how to submit your poems to the contest. The Woven Words Tiny Poem Contest is FREE and open to teens who live in or attend high school in Stanislaus County. The contest is a publication opportunity–the entries will be woven into a larger poem and published in a book, and we will celebrate together a bit later in the spring!
PLUS YOU CAN WIN PRIZES–top poem in each theme wins $50. Note: all poems will be accepted for publication. Please see contest guidelines for details.
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85093492645

Aileen Jaffa Young Poets Contest Deadline
2026-04-03
Co-sponsored by Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center and National League of American Pen Women, Modesto Chapter
Cash awards will be given in each of four categories: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12
Stanislaus County students in grades K-12 can submit up to 3 poems with an entry fee] of $1 per poem. Each poem must be the student’s original creative work, 24 lines or less in any style. Submit 2 copies of each poem, one without the student’s name and one with the student’s name plus an attached entry form. Poems entered in the Aileen Jaffa Young Poets Contest cannot be simultaneously submitted to the Poets’ Corner Contest or any other poetry contest. Submissions must be postmarked by the April 3, 2026 deadline.
Please visit Aileen Jaffa Young Poets Contest for full contest rules.

Woven Words Tiny Poem Contest — Reading & Reception
2026-05-20 17:30 - 18:30 | Queen Bean Coffee House, 1126 14th St, Modesto, CA, 95354, United States
Woven Words Tiny Poem Contest — Reading & Reception
You’re invited to a poetry reading to celebrate the publication of Woven Words, an anthology of short poems featuring the work of Stanislaus County youth poets.
Hosted by Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate Valentina Zeff
📅 Wednesday, May 20, 2026 | 5:30 PM 📍 Queen Bean Coffeehouse 1126 14th St., Modesto, CA 95350

About the Program
The Stanislaus County Youth Poet Laureate program is administered by Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center (MoSt Poetry) with partners MJC Library & Learning Center & MJC School of Language Arts & Education, Stanislaus County Office of Education, Stanislaus County Library, and Stanislaus Library Foundation.
