Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle to host Open Mic Coffee House at Elgin Community College

Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle will visit Elgin Community College (ECC) on Tuesday, April 7, to lead a poetry workshop and host the Writer’s Center's monthly Open Mic Coffee House.

The free events will begin at 5 pm in Building B, Room 313, at ECC’s 1700 Spartan Drive campus in Elgin, before the coffee shop event. The coffee house begins at 6 pm, downstairs from the workshop in Building B, Room 275 lobby, in front of the Poetry Wall.

“I always love the opportunity to connect with students and writers from all walks of life, and community colleges always seem to have some of the most diverse and interesting student bodies,” del Valle said. “I also think it's important to have opportunities for students to connect with professional artists so they can consider careers in the arts. I'm excited to be in conversation with the ECC community!”

She began her two-year tenure as the Poet Laureate of the City of Chicago in January 2026.

During the coffee house, del Valle will read selections of her poetry and invite students and community members to share their own poetry.

Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, del Valle is the author of “A South Side Girl’s Guide to Love and Sex” and “The University of Hip Hop.” She started her career at the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City, where she became the 2001 Grand Slam Champion.

Del Valle has appeared on six episodes of the HBO Max series “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” and has performed at venues worldwide. In 2024, she was awarded the Letras Boricuas Fellowship from Flamboyan Arts Fund and the Mellon Foundation.

She has taught poetry in schools, colleges, and youth detention facilities andcurrently serves as a Poet-in-Residence with The Chicago Poetry Center.

Contact:
Elgin Community College
Communications
Office: 847.214.7838
Email: news@elgin.edu

About ECC: An Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction and one of the Aspen Institute’s Top 150 schools in the nation, Elgin Community College (ECC) is a comprehensive, fully accredited public community college and serves approximately 16,000 students each year. Programs of study include more than 30 major fields for university transfer, a full complement of pre-collegiate courses, corporate and continuing education, and more than 130 career-oriented occupational degrees and certificates. ECC is also a U.S. Department of Education-designated Hispanic Serving Institution.

ECC NEWS MEDIA PROTOCOL
All members of the media should utilize the communications department as the first point of contact. The director of communications may be reached at 847-214-7838 or news@elgin.edu. All Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests must be submitted in writing to Erin Schmalen, compliance officer, at eschmalen@elgin.edu or via fax at 847-214-7375.