We’re excited by the theme for the Diverse Verse 2025 annual call for poetry by young poets (grades 3 -12): Poems for Action!

Theme: Poems for Action

We invite young poets in grades 3 through 12 to craft a poem that is a call to action during Poetry Month 2025, and to send it to us via the submission form. Young poets may interpret the theme of hope in whatever way they wish:

An Interview with the upcoming Young Peoples Poetry Laureate of the United States, Carole Boston Weatherford

Classroom Activities inspired by the verse novel Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman

Trade review excerpt, early praise, order link and author visit information for Padma Venkatraman’s sixth novel and second novel in verse, Safe Harbor

How to Write Haibun by Holly Thompson

List of Resources recommended by NCTE 2024 Diverse Verse Panelists and Moderator (Lisa Stringfellow, Suma Subramaniam, Valerie Bolling, Padma Venkatraman)

Diverse Verse NCTE Panel information and short list of recommended reading by panelists and diverse verse authors who lead #DiverseVerse’s annual call for poetry.

Activity to play with and learn about line breaks in poetry