As Mai-Anh Nguyen’s inaugural one-year term comes to a close, HoCoPoLitSo and program partners welcome one and all to attend the announcement of the second local young writer to be appointed as Howard County Youth Poet Laureate, to be presented by County Executive Calvin Ball on Wednesday, September 17th, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Busboys and Poets in Columbia. RSVP is requested to ensure adequate seating.

The Howard County Youth Poet Laureate Program, created in partnership of HoCoPoLitSo, Howard County Arts Council, and Howard County Government through the Office of the County Executive, is an honorary one-year position selecting a young author from the Howard County area, ages 14–21, who demonstrates a passion for poetry and its power to connect our communities through local public readings and participation in civic events. Applications for this second term were accepted from January to May this year, and reviewed by an independent artistic review panel coordinated by HoCoPoLitSo and made up of local poets and educators Ashley Elizabeth, Naomi Ayala, and Sylvia Jones. Acting on the panel’s recommendation, the next Youth Poet Laureate will be formally appointed by the County Executive to act as an ambassador for literacy, arts, and youth expression.

This event is free and open to the public, but requires registration to attend: please click here to register.