For more than 10 years, Baltimore’s Youth Poet Laureate Competition has empowered young people to speak their truth

Baltimore's Youth Poet Laureate Competition, run by DewMore Baltimore and the city since 2015, is an ongoing program that empowers young voices through poetry. The 2026 laureate Marcellus Vinson and past winners like Hannah Sawyerr use the platform to address social justice issues. Winners receive recognition, cash prize, book publication, library branch tour, and a one-year term as official city voice at conferences and events. Runners-up become ambassadors.