Aileen Cassinetto

Inaugural Burlingame-Hillsborough Youth Poet Laureate Commencement

All community members are invited to join us in a special ceremony to present the winner of the first ever Burlingame-Hillsborough Youth Poet Laureate competition.

Friday, May 12, 2023 at 6pm, Burlingame Public Library

Program

Opening Remarks by Jenny Miner, Teen Services Librarian, Burlingame Public Library 
Poem performed by Eva Chen, current Burlingame-Hillsborough Youth Poet-in-Residence 
Introduction of and poetry performed by first four finalists
Poem performed by Aileen Cassinetto, San Mateo County Poet Laureate Emeritus & former National Youth Poet Laureate competition judge 
Introduction of and poetry performed by last four finalists 
Announcement of the 2023-2024 Burlingame-Hillsborough Youth Poet Laureate winner 

Please join us for cake and sparkling cider to recognize the hard work of all our finalists! 

The Burlingame-Hillsborough Youth Poet Laureate program was launched in 2023 as part of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program administered by Urban Word, the largest and most comprehensive youth literary arts organization in the country serving 70 cities, states, and counties with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Academy of American Poets, the Poetry Coalition, the Library of Congress, the National Parks Service, and the Kennedy Center. The program celebrates youth at the intersection of artistic excellence & civic engagement.

Update: Check out photos from the event here!