HHYC Poetry Competition
Happy World Poetry Day from our crew at Helping Hands Youth Center! In honor of World Poetry Day, we would like to formally announce our April Poetry Contest & Scholarship! This competition will take place from today until April 28th, 2023 in honor of National Poetry Month. This contest will have two age divisions: grades 6th-8th will be responsible for writing a Free Verse poem, and grades 9th-12th will be responsible for writing a haiku. Junior High students will be competing for various gift cards and prizes, while high school participants will have an opportunity to win scholarship prizes.
“Practiced throughout history – in every culture and on every continent – poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace (UNESCO).”
History of World Poetry Day
World Poetry Day is annually celebrated on March 21st. The day was adopted by UNESCO in 1999 as a means of cultivating linguistic expressions that target the multiculturalism of society. Poetry is a form of writing that all people can identify with. UNESCO “hoped to inspire the celebration of poetry all over the world, preserve endangered languages, and stimulate poetic expression through this day (National Today)." This day is used to honor poets worldwide, from past and present, who practiced the written and oral tradition of poetic expression. Poetry can be used as a standalone, or also paired with other forms of expression such as music, dance, and painting. There are many types of poetry: music, sonnets, haikus, free verse, ballads, limericks, odes, and more.
Benefits of Poetry
Reading poetry helps children build pitch, volume, tone, inflection, expression, and rhythm; which are essential to becoming fluent readers.
Reading poetry expands children’s vocabulary.
Reading and writing poetry allows children to express themselves and encourages creativity.
Writing poetry allows youth to channel and understand their emotions.
Ways to Celebrate World Poetry Day
Write a poem and enter in Helping Hands Youth Center’s first poetry competition.
Read aloud a poem to your class today.
Read a poem from your favorite poet.
Try to write a poem in your favorite poet’s style.
Act out a poem.
Read a poem regarding another culture.
Share your favorite poem with a friend.
How Do I Enter?
HHYC's Poetry Competition will be available for the entire month of April, and we encourage participants to contact the office with any questions regarding the contest.
For more information on requirements, entry forms, and registration, please click here.