Oakland Tech, Holy Names Students Among Finalists for Youh Poet Laureate

From an Oakland Public Library press release:

Eight finalists have been announced in the City of Oakland’s second annual Youth Poet Laureate competition.

These talented young poets made it through a highly competitive and rigorous first round juried by esteemed judges, including accomplished authors, educators and two youth judges.

The Oakland Public Library, in partnership with Youth Speaks (the country’s leading nonprofit presenter of spoken word performance, education and youth development programs), is staging the competition.

The winner will be honored with a $5,000 scholarship and the opportunity to officially represent his/her community through poetry, media, and public appearances.

The winner will be announced in early August. First-round evaluations were based solely on the strength of the applicants’ poetry.

Judges looked for writing that demonstrated Overall Artistic Excellence, Bold Approach in Content and Form, Outstanding Creativity, Originality and Authenticity. 
The eight finalists represent the best of Oakland’s young talent, while also reflecting the city’s lauded diversity. They attend seven different schools and hail from six different zip codes. They are: 

Olivia Hoffman, 16, Oakland School for the Arts
Maya Bello, 16, Holy Names High School
Obasi Davis, 17, Berkeley High School
Robert Paige, 18, Oakland Technical High School
Mina Jameson, 15, Oakland School for the Arts
Francesca Paris, 16, Head-Royce School
Cindy Huey, 17, Oakland Technical High School
Kai Smith, 15, Oakland School for the Arts

All finalists will gain mentorship and educational opportunities. They will also have their work published in an anthology.

Their submissions will be forwarded to a panel of celebrity judges, including poet and playwright Chinaka Hodge poet and performer Raphael Cohen, and current Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Yun, who won the competition in 2012.

Youth Poet Laureate Finalists will make several public appearances this summer before the competition culminates Aug. 2–4, when the winner will be announced. Dates and venues will be announced soon.