Westport Garden Club Names Youth Poetry Winners, Celebration Planned At Library

WESTPORT, CT — The Westport Garden Club, working with the Westport Arts Advisory Committee and The Westport Library, announced four Westport students and one New Canaan student as winners of the National Garden Clubs Inc. and Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Youth Poetry Contest for K-12 students.

According to the announcement, the theme for the 2026 contest is “PLANT AMERICA FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS.” Organizers said the theme was selected to encourage students to use writing and gardening as creative outlets. Four entries from Westport and one from New Canaan were chosen by the state committee and received first-place awards in their grade levels, allowing them to advance to the New England Garden Clubs regional contest. Regional selections then move on for National Garden Club awards.

The Connecticut state award-winning poems by area students are:

• Grade 2, “I Planted a Seed” by G. Olanoff of Long Lots Elementary School
• Grade 4, “Pollinators” by D. Deeckan, homeschool, Westport
• Grade 5, “A Century of Care” by R.R. Paransky of Kings Highway Elementary School
• Grade 6, “Our World” by S. DeVito of Bedford Middle School
• Grade 7, “A Walk in the Park” by G. Toler of Saxe Middle School in New Canaan

The announcement said Westport student S. DeVito also won at the regional New England Garden Clubs level and will proceed to the national contest.

A celebration is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. at The Westport Library in the Brooks Place Room. The event is part of National Poetry Month and will feature the 2026 finalists reading their award-winning poems. The announcement also said Westport Poet Laureate Donna Disch will lead a workshop for young poets focused on writing in a community setting.

The event invites residents to support student writers and learn more about how poetry can foster connection, community and imagination.

For more information, click here.

— Flyer from the Westport Garden Club