if not one to write
i write poetry on lined paper
in class & only half pay attention, rounded letters
barely containing all i want to say. i use green marker
& stare dreamily into the yellowed margins,
Young Writers Project
The Daily Read
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In English We Read Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes
We read poems on printed white sheets in english
Cover them with highlights
And words like freedom
Are covered in pink.
And a hundred years ago
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the lover
love cannot be created or destroyed.
like energy
it shape shifts
following those filled with passion
and hope
but appearing to leave
at the slightest touch of pain
Gallery
Challenges
Visual Art
Deadline
Stairs
Imagine a stairway that is always climbing to infinity. Using your preferred medium, create a never-ending staircase.
Visual Art
Deadline
Snails
Snails are interesting creatures! Draw or paint an image of two or more snails having fun — maybe racing each other, attending a party in fancy hats, skiing down a mountain. The choice is yours.
Writing
Deadline
Notebook
Where do you do your best writing? Is it a notebook? A laptop? Your phone? Why does it appeal to you?
Visual Art
Deadline
Winter 2026 Art Contest
With your artist's eye, observe, interpret, and create. Choose a subject — an everyday object, a person, a landscape — and give yourself time and space to study it. Use the medium of your choice to convey the subject the way you uniquely see it.
Writing
America?
The fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents on the streets of Minneapolis have induced fury, disbelief, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of betrayal. This isn't America. Is it? Share your thoughts.
Writing
Hope & Resilience
Poetry steps in where uncertainty and chaos take root. Poetry lifts us up and moves us forward with determination. Explore these poems of hope and resilience. If you are inspired, share your own.
News & Events
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2026 Vermont Youth Poet Laureate
Vermont writers: You could become the 2026 Vermont Youth Poet Laureate!
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Photo Workshops: A Series by Kevin Huang
Kevin Huang, a photographer and an alumni of YWP, shares what he has learned about photography through his countless hours of experimenting and exploring with his camera. See Kevin's series of online workshops and post your own photos.
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YWP Resources: New Publication & Contest Opportunities!
Are you looking to submit your work to contests for a chance to win prizes or to publications such as journals and anthologies? Check out our lists of writing and visual arts contests curated for YWP by Alumni Advisor Sam Aikman.
