2024/2025
Great Adirondack Young People’s Poetry Showcase
Each year, hundreds of poems are received from students in Grades 1-12 in public, private, and home schools within and around the Adirondack Park.
SUBMISSIONS
2025 submissions have closed.
Submissions will now be accepted through Saturday, March 8, 2025 (deadline extended!). Please make sure to include the poet's name and grade, teacher’s name and email address, school, school address and school phone number with each poem submitted.
Two entries by each student may be sent to Tara Palen, LPCA Director of Education and Outreach, by email at tara@lakeplacidarts.org or by mail: Lake Placid Center for the Arts, 17 Algonquin Drive, Lake Placid, NY 12946.
Words from the Woods
2025
Judges
Sophie Morelli is an Adirondack local with a lifelong love for writing. She holds a Bachelor's in English Literature and Writing and a Master's in English Education, both from SUNY Potsdam. She is so excited to be a part of this project!
Katie Turner is the Principal at St. Agnes School in Lake Placid. Katie has been teaching for almost 15 years and has previously run after school workshops in poetry and creative writing for elementary, middle and high school students. As a student herself, Katie enjoyed participating in Poetry Slams and writing contests. Katie is very excited to be a part of the LPI Annual Poetry Showcase!
Erin Dorney is the author of Yes I Am Human I Know You Were Wondering (Autofocus Books 2025), and other collections of poetry. Her literary artwork and installations have been exhibited at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Hennepin Theatre Trust, the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and Susquehanna Art Museum. She is the managing editor at Sarabande Books and lives in Western NY.
“We read, recite, learn and write poems in order to fix in our memory precious truths and lasting feelings. Poetry existed long before the alphabet, and served ancient cultures as a way of remembering the stories that defined them. In our world of print and electronic media, poetry retains its ancient power.”
The Great Adirondack Young People's Poetry Showcase recognizes that poetry is not only a fundamental literary art, but also an accessible form of writing for students of all ages. Each year, hundreds of poems are received from students in Grades 1-12 in public, private, and home schools within and around the Adirondack Park.
This program was initiated in 1998 by the Lake Placid Institute for the Arts & Humanities and remains one of the most successful and treasured programs of LPI.
Poems are judged by local poets and those selected for their special merit will be published in the booklet, Words from the Woods. Poets selected will have the opportunity to recite their work at a Spring 2025 awards ceremony at LPCA (date to be announced).
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