Spark! Youth Poetry Competition
Each year, Nevada Humanities invites Clark County high school students to present three original poems to be judged by a panel of poets, authors, educators, and other community members. The Spark! Youth Poetry Competition takes place at the Las Vegas Book Festival in October. The top three students are selected as first, second, and third-place winners.
2025 Spark! Guidelines
High school students in grades 9 to 12 residing in Clark County, Nevada, are invited to present their original poems during the Las Vegas Book Festival in the Poetry Pavilion on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Students will be asked to present three of their own original poems to be judged by a panel of poets, authors, educators, and other community members. Panelists will use a scoring rubric to assign numerical values to the evaluation criteria. The top three highest-scoring students will determine first, second, and third place. Registration is required.
Rounds: There will be three presentation rounds. All students will present one poem in the first round. The top six students will present in the second round. The top three students will present in the third round to determine first, second, and third place. Scores will be cumulative.
Awards:
First Place - $300 cash award
Second Place - $200 cash award
Third Place - $100 cash award
Timeline:
Competition opens on August 1, 2025.
Student Submission Deadline: Monday, October 13, 2025.
Recitation Presentation & Awards: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 1:00 - 3:00 pm PST.
Location: Poetry Pavilion
Las Vegas Book Festival, Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Eligibility:
All high school-aged students (grades 9 - 12) who are residents of Clark County, Nevada.
Poetry Guidelines:
Types of poems that may be presented: prose poetry, free verse, structured poetry (sonnets, sestinas, tankas, cinquains, villanelles, etc.), and spoken word.
Poems do not have to be memorized to be presented.
Time limit of up to 3 minutes per poem.
Props, costumes, and music are not allowed.
Dress for the competition is school casual that is suitable for a public presentation.
Consider your poem selection carefully. Please be mindful when choosing your poems. You will be presenting to a public audience of all ages and cultures, that will include families, students, and children.
Poems must be the artist's own original work, created solely by the artist, not generated by artificial means, does not infringe on any intellectual property rights or plagiarize another's work. Work is not defamatory.
Participants are expected to adhere to a professional code of conduct in all interactions with colleagues, presenters, the public, staff, and festival volunteers.
Poem titles are all that is required at the time of registration. Be prepared to present all 3 of your original poems in the order you listed on your registration form.
Submittal Information - Deadline: Monday, October 13, 2025
Students must register to participate in the competition, provide a valid email, and sign the release form. A parent or guardian must also sign the form and provide a valid email if the student is under 18.
Scoring Criteria
Things to remember as the judges will evaluate and score each presentation on the following criteria:
Physical stage presence, voice, and articulation
Eye contact, poise, posture, clear pronunciation, pacing, rhythm, volume.
Originality and personal voice
Original idea, original voice and tone, handling of subject matter in genre, style, and intention.
Overall Composition
Language proficiency, word choice, organization, memorable, deliberate, consistent, overall development of the idea.
Overall performance
Successful compelling presentation, commanding stage presence, illuminates poem, effectively communicates the feeling and meaning of the poet’s work.
Questions?
Contact Bobbie Ann Howell at bahowell@nevadahumanities.org or 702-800-4670.