2026 Poetry Contest Opens March 15!

The 2026 Poetry contest is officially open for our State Qualifiers beginning March 15, and the deadline for poetry submission is April 10th, 2026! Students (and coaches), here's a few things to remember...

• A parent/guardian must be logged in to submit the Google form. Some schools' IT settings may block students from submitting their poetry with their school email address.
• Poems must be the student's own original work.
• Formats accepted include Word.docx, Google doc, or PDF.
• Poems must be 1 page or less and include the poem title
• Students may enter one submission; entering multiple poems will be grounds for disqualification.

Poetry submissions will be judged by Dr. George Bilgere, a successful, published poet and creative writing professor at John Carroll University. 

Winning poetry will be featured in the 2026 State Program and The Winners of 2026; the winning student must be present at the State Tournament to receive the award.

Click the button below to submit your poetry today! Email info@powerofthepen.org if you run into any submission issues.