Georgia Poet Laureate's Prize
Give your students a platform to be published, recognized, and celebrated for their original poetry.
Georgia Poet Laureate Chelsea Rathburn, left, and 2026 Poet Laureate's Prize winner Jaiden Geolingo of Macon, Georgia.
Make Poetry Part of Learning
Teachers and nonprofit organizations are invited to engage students in creative expression through the annual Georgia Poet Laureate’s Prize – an opportunity for high school students to share their voices by submitting their original poems. The program is easy to incorporate into a poetry unit, and builds confidence, communication skills, and creativity.
Selections are made by Georgia’s Poet Laureate Chelsea Rathburn.
The contest is open to Georgia students in grades 9-12 enrolled in a Georgia public school, accredited private school, or home school. The contest accepts entries each fall, with winners announced in the spring.
All participants must be a resident of the State of Georgia. Minors must have their parent’s or legal guardian’s permission to enter.
Poet Laureate Prize entries are being accepted through January 15, 2027.
View guidelines and submit a poem View guidelines and submit a poem“To participate in this competition was a way for me to show the world my artistic prowess and what I can do,” said 2025 Poet Laureate’s Prize winner Jada Michelle Ellis. “If you love the arts and want to show off your love, this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.”
Chelsea Rathburn was appointed Georgia Poet Laureate by Governor Brian P. Kemp in 2019 and serves as an ambassador for the state’s literary arts, promoting reading, writing, and literacy across Georgia. She is the author of four poetry collection, including "Broken Houses," published in 2026. Her previous collections, 2019’s “Still Life with Mother and Knife,” was named a New York Times “New & Noteworthy”release and one of the Georgia Center for the Book’s “Books All Georgians Should Read.” Her work has appeared in leading journals such as Poetry, The Atlantic, and The New Republic, and she is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowship. Rathburn is a professor at Mercer University in Macon.
Learn More About the Program
Contact Emily Yewell Volin Arts Education Grants and Program Manager, at 404-962-4015 or [email protected].
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