Brave New Voices

So I want to take the opportunity to spread the word about youth slam poetry competitions. They are not for library's anymore, but actually a national event. Several associations like Youth Speaks and Brave New Voices have missions like mine. According to their website:

Youth Speaks Inc. is a multi-faceted organization that understands and believes that the power, insight, creativity, and passion of young artists can change the world. In addition to a wide variety of arts education, youth development, and presentation programs that serve thousands each year in the Bay Area, we house a repertory theater company (The Living Word Project) that commissions, produces and tours internationally-recognized new work in new aesthetics, host an annual gathering of young poets and poetry organizations from throughout the world (Brave New Voices), and have built a network of like-minded organizations developed on our model throughout the country.

With ongoing, comprehensive programs in the San Francisco Bay Area serving 45,000 youth locally and national programs that serve over 250,000, Youth Speaks facilitates safe spaces within and outside of public institutions where youth can critically analyze, write and voice their own experiences through this powerful artistic medium to thousands of their peers. Youth Speak is the leading nonprofit presenter of spoken word education, performance, and youth development programs in the country.