Bucks County Community College is holding the 30th annual Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contest with a winning prize of $300.

Students currently in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade or students who are homeschooled with an interest in writing and poetry are encouraged to enter their poems in by 4:00 p.m on Friday, March 10.

Along with the prize of $300, the winner of this competition will also, “be acknowledged with a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners,” according to Rackin. The winning poems and also one poem from each participant will be published in an anthology, Writes of Passage, that will be shared at the reading in April.

Dr. Ethel Rackin, an associate professor in the Language and Literature Department, as well as the co-director of the Bucks County Poet Laureate Program says, “Submitting poems to the competition may give students a chance to discover and develop a talent they may not have realized they had or perhaps did not feel was fully appreciated.”

The winner and the finalists will also be participating in a public reading that will take place in April, on the Bucks Newtown Campus.

“Entrance in this competition also gives students a chance to be published in an annual anthology of entrants, where their poems will engage in a conversation with the poems of other high school students across Bucks County,” Rackin explains.

When asked about any advice she would like to give these writers, she says, “Send us the work you are proudest of, the work that represents your writing at its best. It is a brave step to share your work with the world, and we appreciate the opportunity to read your poems! Being a poet is all about taking risks: the risk to say things you thought you couldn’t say, to challenge yourself to try new techniques, to continue learning from your peers and mentors, and to keep writing even when you experience self-doubt.”

The contest typically gets over 100 submissions, but Rackin always hopes for more participation. This may also interest any student who is currently or soon will be applying for college. “Mentioning the contest, public reading, and anthology on college applications will demonstrate initiative, writing skills, and public speaking experience,” she adds.

“The public speaking event in April may look impressive to college admissions offices.”

“We are open to all forms of poetry,” Rackin said when explaining her criteria for the contest. “Precision in language—showing your reader what you want her/him to see through concrete sensory detail—is always appreciated.”

“The contest is popular, but we would like to see even greater participation.” Anyone and everyone who is eligible is encouraged to submit their poetry.

Previous winners are not eligible to enter.

Each participant must enter with three original poems, with the free entry form located on the Bucks County Community College website. The judges for this competition will be current poet laureate and a previous poet laureate.