Educational Services

Are you a teen or young adult with something to say? We want to hear your voice!

The Riverside County Teen Poet Laureate Competition invites teens and young adults to share their voices, creativity, and mastery of poetry.

2026 Submission Window: Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. – Monday, September 21, 2026, at Midnight.

GUIDELINES:

• Multiple poems may be submitted in any style or form but may not exceed a total of ten pages per author. 
• Poems must be the original creative work of the poet. Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification from this and all future Teen Poet Laureate opportunities.
• Single or double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman preferred unless the poem’s form dictates the format (example: blackout poetry, erasures, visual poetry, and the like).
• Poems must be appropriate for audiences of all ages and may not include gratuitous violent or sexual content, hate speech, or slander.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Teen Poet Laureate candidates must be available to attend: Teen Poet Laureate Reception Friday, October 30, 2026 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  Grier Pavilion 3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 (The Grier Pavilion is located on the rooftop (7th Floor) of Riverside City Hall.)
• Must be enrolled in high school or adult school at time of submission.
• Must attest that their work is solely their own original creative work. [Plagiarism or use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will result in immediate disqualification and ban from all future consideration.]
• If selected, the Teen Poet Laureate may be invited to participate in additional events and opportunities throughout the region during their term. Attendance at these events is expected whenever possible.

FINALISTS

The top finalists will be asked to submit a one-minute video of themselves reading a portion of their selected poem chosen by the panel of judges. All winners, finalists and honorable mentions will have their selected poetry published in a limited-edition commemorative chapbook. Selected entries may also be published in the All-Teen issue of Inlandia: A Literary Journey, the online literary journal of Inlandia Institute. This program is a partnership between Riverside County Office of Education and Inlandia Institute with program support from Riverside County Library System and the City of Riverside.

This four-part series, comprising one full-day and three virtual sessions, will develop the skills necessary for success as a first-year AVID site Coordinator or Lead Teacher.

The Secondary AVID National Demonstration School (NDS) (Re)Validation Workshop walks middle and high schools through the step-by-step validation and revalidation process aligned to the Secondary Implementation Tool (SIT).

Join us for an engaging 3-day professional development experience for K-5th grade educators eager to support students on their literacy journey.

The Riverside County Assessment Network (RCAN) meetings are designed to:

• Provide a forum to discuss what is happening in education assessment – what’s new, what’s going on, what works, and what does not work.
• Offer timely updates on legislative, budget, and accountability at the state and federal levels.
• Share and explore promising practices that can inform instruction and assessment, accelerate student learning, close achievement gaps, increase high school graduation rates, and improve college and career readiness.

Additional benefits of RCAN participation include receiving RCAN listserv email updates, access to online RCAN materials and resources, and one-on-one customized assessment, accountability, and data support.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 
Friday, September 25, 2026
Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Friday, January 29, 2027
Friday, April 30, 2027*
Tuesday, May 25, 2027

*Online meeting via Zoom.
Who should attend: District leaders of assessment, accountability, data management, research, and/or program evaluation.