Parkmont School

2007 Winning Poems
2005 Winning Poems

Poetry Festival Submission Flyer
Poetry Entry Form
Poetry Letter

Poetry Festival Judges

"A poem is a hammer, beating in its words, forcing us to listen."

This young poet's words caught the attention of a Parkmont Poetry Festival judge a few years back, and the poem was included among the winners for that year. Each year for the past 21 years the Parkmont School has been celebrating the creative talents of the District of Columbia's middle and secondary school students by sponsoring the Parkmont Poetry Festival.

The 26th Parkmont Poetry Festival Awards Ceremony and Poetry Reading will take place on May 10th, 2008! The public is invited. Forty finalists will be selected and invited to read their poems at the Poetry Festival Reading. To read the 2007 winning poems, click here. You will need Adobe Acobat Reader to view or print this file. This free software, and along with instructions on installation and use, is available at Adobe's website.

Eligibility, Submission & Deadline Details:

• Open to students living or attending school in the District of Columbia in Grades 6-12
• Limit of 2 poems per student
• Type poems or use black pen
• Please fill out the Poetry Entry Form and include it with your poem so that we can get student's name, home phone, school, grade, and teacher's name."
  
• Deadline for entering poems is: March 3, 2008.

Prizes:
Poems published in the Festival Book
Gift Certificate
Festival tee-shirt

Send poems to:
Parkmont School
4842 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20011
or email at poetry@parkmont.org

Frequently asked questions about the Festival:

Q. Can students submit previously published poems?
A. Yes.

Q. Can students submit poems written a few years ago?
A. Yes.

Q. Do students have to attend the Reading if a finalist?
A. Although students need not attend the reading ceremony, they are highly encouraged to attend.

Q. If a student lives in D.C. but goes to school in Maryland, may they enter?
A. Yes.

Q. Is the Poetry Festival Reading open to the public?
A. Yes.

Q. How can I get extra copies of the Festival book?
A. Call 202.726.0740 ext 306 or send an e-mail to poetry@parkmont.org.

Please contact Kim Schraf, Festival Coordinator, at 202.726.0740 ext 306 for more information. The Poetry Festival is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on Arts & Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.