2020 National Student Poets Appointment Ceremony
The National Student Poets were selected from students in grades 10-11 who submitted more than 20,000 works in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and received top honors in poetry. From this pool of award recipients, 35 semi-finalists are identified as the most gifted young poets in their regions, based on their originality, technical skills, and personal voice, and were invited to submit additional poetry and performance videos to distinguished jurors for the final selection of the five National Student Poets.
The following five high school students have been chosen from among thousands of award-winning poets to serve for a year as National Student Poets, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work. Representing five geographical regions of the nation:
- Madelyn Dietz (Midwest), from St. Paul, Minnesota
- Manasi Garg (West), from Saratoga, California
- Isabella Ramirez (Southeast), from Lake Worth, Florida
- Ethan Wang (Southwest), from Katy, Texas
- Anthony Wiles, Jr. (Northeast), from Ross, Pennsylvania
Read the full announcement on the IMLS website.
Tina Chang
The 2020 Student Poets will be appointed by the Director of IMLS, Crosby Kemper, on September 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET in a virtual ceremony. The ceremony will feature remarks by critically-acclaimed author and Brooklyn Poet Laureate, Tina Chang; special messages from the Class of 2019 alumni; commentary about the program’s community service successes; and individual readings by each incoming 2020 Student Poet.
Webcast
Register to receive the link to the ceremony, which premieres on September 10th at 7:00 p.m. ET. The recording will also become available here for viewing after the premiere.
About the National Student Poets Program
The National Student Poets Program is a collaboration of IMLS and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, which presents the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nearly century-old program known for its recognition and celebration of the country’s most creative teens. Annually, five students are selected for one year of service as literary ambassadors. The program links the National Student Poets with audiences and neighborhood resources such as museums, libraries, and other community anchor institutions.
Click here to learn more about the program and the 2020 Class of National Student Poets. You can also follow the National Student Poets on the program's Facebook page, or join the conversation on Twitter with @artandwriting, @US_IMLS, and #NSPP20.
Welcome to the National Student Poets Program from Alliance for Young Artists & Writers on Vimeo.