Our Story
Urban Word champions youth voice by providing platforms for literacy, self-expression, civic engagement, and leadership through free creative writing, college prep workshops, and performance opportunities.
Equipping youth to harness their power as leaders at the intersection of the literary arts and civic engagement. We are the founder of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, a renowned program that celebrates youth for their excellence as writers and community impact.
Through the transformative power of the written and spoken word, Urban Word provides young, creative voices, often those who are marginalized, the tools, training, and platforms to rewrite the narratives that shape their lives and their communities.
2024 NATIONAL YOUTH POET LAUREATE
Winner of the 2024 National Youth Poet Laureate competition – Stephanie serves as the United States youth literary and civic ambassador.
“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 UW Artistic Director, Lincoln Center Poet-in-Residence, Author, Poet, Activist
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