Voices Forward
A Teen Poetry and Public Humanities Initiative
About Voices Forward
Voices Forward is a poetry and public humanities initiative for emerging youth poets (ages 13-19) from across Minnesota. Poets will explore the Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s themes:
- Remembering Together
- Harmonizing Together
- Moving Together
- Building Together
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Questions? Contact Rachel Busse-Aswar |
Voices Forward Selection Process
Poets for Voices Forward will be selected from a qualified pool of candidates for the Minnesota Youth Poet Laureate. Applicants ages 13-19 living in Minnesota are encouraged to apply. Submissions are being accepted February 1-March 16, 2026.
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Minnesota Youth Poet Laureate Learn more on how you can apply to be Minnesota’s Youth Poet Laureate. Learn More |
“This partnership amplifies the voices from communities nationwide and the cultural practices that define them . . .”
– Phoebe Stein, President, Federation of State Humanities Councils
Mentorships, Workshops, and Performances
Through mentorship and workshops with acclaimed Minnesota poets, youth poets will craft poems that remember our past, mark our present, and imagine a shared future.
Throughout the summer of 2026, poets will showcase their original works in public performances. These gatherings will be a key part of Minnesota Humanities Center’s (MHC) commemoration of the Semiquincentennial. MHC will engage communities across the state and explore how remembrance, democracy, and identity intersect locally and nationally.
Voices Forward is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250.
About By the PeopleBy the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. These programs explore 250 years of the nation’s cultural life and imagine its shared future. Learn More |
“. . . By the People invites communities to celebrate their stories and imagine a shared future grounded in creativity and cultural understanding.”
– Halle Butvin, Director of Special Projects, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 is a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
