Nassau County Teen Poet Laureate Scholarship and Award

January 2025

From: Nassau County Poet Laureate Society

To: All ELA Directors, Chairpeople, English Department Faculty, and Administrators of Nassau County High Schools

The Nassau County Poet Laureate Society is proud to announce the inaugural search for an exceptional high school student who will serve as the first Nassau County Teen Poet Laureate.

The title along with a scholarship award of $500 will be presented to a current 11th grade student in Nassau County who has shown to be outstanding in literary accomplishment, specifically poetry. To this end we request that you identify, through whatever process is best for your institution, one student who meets this criteria. Once identified by the school community, we would need this student to send us the following materials as separate attachments in one email. If appropriate and necessary, a member of the school community may submit the materials on behalf of the selected student.

1. a cover letter and resume that includes their name, school, contact information, literary background, future goals, and publications or awards (if applicable)
2. a sampling of their work consisting of two or three of their poems (any length, open theme) compiled into one doc and labeled with poem title and author’s name on each page
3. a letter of recommendation

All of these materials should be sent to nassaucountyteenpoetlaureate@gmail.com by Friday, February 28th 2025. All submissions need to be received by the deadline in order to ensure that our judges can make a decision before the awards ceremony and presentation in May. This letter and informational flier for circulation will be posted on the Nassau County Poet Laureate Society website at www.ncplsociety.com. All questions and comments and press can be directed to nassaucountyteenpoetlaureate@gmail.com.

When we have reviewed submissions and made our decision, we will inform all applicants of the winner through the emails they’ve used to submit their applications in April. The title and award will be presented to the winner at a poetry event in May of 2025 by our current poet laureate, Alan Semerdjian. The principal, ELA Director, and/or any staff members involved in this procedure are asked to attend the ceremony.

Historically, the Nassau County Poet Laureate Society has served as the facilitator of the county’s appointment of its poet laureate. This year’s search to recognize a high school junior living and going to school in Nassau County to serve as a youth ambassador of poetry for the region is an extension of this important work that honors the role of the arts in the measure of a community’s vitality, spirit, and richness.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,
Sharon Anderson
NCPLS Advisory Board Laureate

and

Alan Semerdjian
Nassau County Poet Laureate

Contact (for information, media and press, etc.):
Alan Semerdjian
631.988.3264 (cell)
semerdjian@gmail.com