Our Story
Urban Word champions youth voice by providing platforms for literacy, self-expression, civic engagement, and leadership through free creative writing workshops, mentorship programs, and performance opportunities.
Through the transformative power of the written and spoken word, Urban Word equips young artists, often those who are marginalized, with the tools, training, and platforms needed to rewrite the narratives that shape their lives and their communities.
We are the founder of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, a renowned program that celebrates our nation’s top youth poets who are committed to artistic excellence, civic engagement, and social impact.
This year we celebrate our 25th Anniversary by deepening our commitment to amplifying youth voices across the country!
10 of NYC’s boldest young poets earn a spot in a paid, five-week creative bootcamp, culminating in a live showcase where one standout voice will be crowned the 2027 NYC Youth Poet
Don’t miss your shot- Apply now for an opportunity to become a finalist in this year’s competition.
2026 NATIONAL YOUTH POET LAUREATE
After months of judging hundreds of youth poets from a network of more than 120 sites, Daniel Somtochukwu Umemezie, of Cedar Falls, lowa, was named the 10th National Youth Poet Laureate. |
“I do not conform, I create. I believe in the reshaping of our environments through the shaping of us. My purpose is to explore and access spaces that haven’t really been touched poetically. My purpose is to expand my role as a poet and as an activist to positively and radically impact those who lend their ears and hearts.”
When you see something that’s been here 20+ years, you watch the young people we serve become adults. You watch them start serving communities and becoming facilitators, not just working poets but Global Citizens… That’s why I have to stay at Urban Word.
Dr. Mahogany L. Browne Former UW Artistic Director, Lincoln Center Poet-in-Residence, Author, Poet, Activist
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