The North Carolina Poetry Society offers a variety of programs and activities for students, ranging from elementary school through undergraduate college.
News and Special Events
Students Read Poetry from Across the State
In early May 2022, twenty-four students, ages 9 through 18, read poems they submitted to the five contests offered by the North Carolina Poetry Society this spring. This Zoom-based gathering showcased the exciting poetry being written by student-poets across the state, from Morehead City to Bryson City and numerous cities in between. The contest finalists also showcased their poems on Sam Ragan Day at Weymouth Center for the Arts in Southern Pines later in May.
Ongoing Programs
Poetry Contests. The North Carolina Poetry Society sponsors yearly contests for poems in a variety of categories, by topic and by age, with a deadline of early February each year. For a complete list of contests, click here.
Poetry Readings. All winners of student contests sponsored by the North Carolina Poetry Society are invited to read their poems at the annual Sam Ragan Awards Day celebration in May. Other poetry readings are also scheduled from time to time.
Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet Series. This remarkable mentoring program connects students in middle school, high school, and college with an established North Carolina poet, who will work with students to develop lyric craft. The deadline for submission of a portfolio of poems is November 15 of each year. After working with the Distinguished Poet over the winter months, each student poet participates in readings the following spring and selects a few poems for the annual Gilbert-Chappell print anthology, Witness: Appalachia to Hatteras. For more information about this unique program, click here.
For further information or to be placed on the mailing list of students, parents, and teachers, contact Jonathan Giles, Student Contests Coordinator.