National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement

Name: National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement
Start: 2026-04-25T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-04-25T20:30:00-05:00
Location: Omaha Public Library - Central, 7205 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114

Schedule

Sat Apr 25 2026 at 07:00 pm to 08:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Omaha Public Library - Central, 7205 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 | Omaha, NE

The Nebraska Writers Collective, in partnership with Urban Word, is honored to host the National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement — marking the first time this celebration has been held in our state.
Join us on Saturday, April 25, at Omaha’s new Central Library for an evening celebrating youth voice, literary excellence, and the announcement of the 10th National Youth Poet Laureate.
The evening will feature performances from four national finalists, alongside a reading from the 2025 Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate Victoria Bogatz. The program will be hosted by Nebraska State Poet Jewel Rodgers and accompanied by DJ Errik Ejike.
Seating is limited. Please register in advance.
→ bit.ly/YPL-2026

EVENT SCHEDULE
Sponsor Reception • 6 p.m.
Public Program • 7 p.m.
The reception is open to event sponsors and will be catered by House of Bah.

MORE ABOUT YPL
The National Youth Poet Laureate program launched with Amanda Gorman as its first laureate and has become the country’s highest honor for youth poets committed to artistic excellence, civic engagement, and community leadership.
Hosting the Commencement reflects years of investment in youth writing, mentorship, and creative leadership across Nebraska. This milestone event brings young poets and literary leaders from across the country to Omaha.

THANK YOU
This event is made possible by The Heider Family Foundation, Millwork Commons, Humanities Nebraska, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, Lozier Foundation, BookLoop, Dundee Bank, Ex Ophidia Press, and House of Bah Foundation.