Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate

Santa Cruz Public Libraries, in partnership with Urban Word, celebrates local youth poets with the opportunity to serve as the Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate. Youth poets will exhibit a commitment to artistic excellence, civic engagement and social justice. The Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate will serve a one-year term and participate in several engagements throughout the year.

See Events & Readings on the menu for our Fall 2024 Poetry Offerings for Teens!

2024-2025 Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate

Congratulations to Dina Lusztig Noyes who has been selected as the inaugural Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate!


On April 10th, 2024, Santa Cruz County's first ever Youth Poet Laureate honor was given to Dina Lusztig Noyes at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA. SC County Youth Poet Laureate finalists include Gregory Souza, Simon Ellefson, Madeline Aliah, and Sylvi Kayser. During the inauguration ceremony, each youth poet performed several of their poems, demonstrating their unique voices and talents. The cohort will continue to be a team of artistic excellence and community engagement through poetry work.


Inaugural Event

Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Dina Lusztig Noyes, center, with youth poet laureate finalists, from left:

    Gregory Souza, Simon Ellefson, Madeline Aliah and Sylvi Kayser during a celebration at Kuumbwa Jazz. 

Image credit: Shmuel Thaler, Santa Cruz Sentinel