April is National Poetry Month, and kids can show that they count in their community by submitting poems to the Aurora Public Library (APL) children’s poetry contest, Community Counts! The census-themed contest invites children in grades three through six to submit original, unpublished poems for an opportunity to win fun prizes. Poems can be written in any style, or format and can be typed or handwritten. Most importantly, the poems should address the Community Counts theme in some way. Think about what it means to be counted in your city, or the ways in which you contribute to a happy neighborhood. Examples of topics that fit the theme are Census 2020, neighbors and neighborhoods, inclusion and diversity, acceptance of all, and Welcome to America. Likewise, consider the ways in which community solidarity emerges in unconventional places and in challenging times.
As young persons are adapting to new and innovative learning environments, while honoring the current stay-at-home order in response to COVID-19, parents and educators are seeking meaningful opportunities for students to engage with literature, reading, and writing. The contest is intended to make poetry fun for young persons, while linking the creative process to current community initiatives, such as Census 2020 and voter registration.
Aurora’s Poet Laureate, Karen Fullett-Christensen, emphasized in the kickoff poetry-writing workshop for this contest March 7 at the Eola Road Branch, poetry is so often misunderstood as rule-bound and highly-structured, which often prevents young people from engaging in the medium as a meaningful mode of expression.
In this contest, we ask only that entrants limit the poems to one page, either typed or handwritten, and address the Community Counts theme in some way. All submissions will be reviewed by the APL Exhibits Review Team and should follow our Exhibits and Displays Policy, available on our website. All submissions will be displayed on social media to highlight April as both National Poetry Month and Census 2020.
Due to recent closings, we ask that all entrants visit bit.ly/aplpoetry to submit their contact information and to tell us a bit about yourselves as a writer and poet, after which all poems should be sent to kdanis@aurorapubliclibrary.org. Judges for this contest include Fullett-Christensen and her Poet Laureate team in Aurora, which will be virtually reviewing all poems submitted through April 20. Poems will be judged primarily on how they creatively address the Community Counts theme. Winners will be announced and notified in May.
“Participants can not only look forward to the chance to win cool prizes for first or second place winners, but also the opportunity to see their work on the Aurora Public Library social media channels. Visitors to our various platforms will love reading the words of our passionate young people here in Aurora,” said Krista Danis events and programs coordinator.
Miriam Meza-Gotto is communications manager for Aurora Public Library.