Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

2027-28 Guidelines and Application Instructions

In November 18, 2008, the Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of the position of Santa Clara County Poet Laureate, to elevate poetry in the consciousness of Santa Clara County residents and to help celebrate the literary arts. SVCREATES administers this program in partnership with the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) and with the support of Poetry Center San José. 

The Poet Laureate is an honorary two-year position, in service to the community. The Poet Laureate will be formally appointed by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, acting on a recommendation determined through an artistic and community panel selection process coordinated by SVCREATES.

During their term, the Poet Laureate will act as an advocate for poetry, literature, and the arts; and contribute to Santa Clara County’s poetry and literary legacy through public readings and participation in civic events. 

The Poet Laureate will not be considered an employee of the County of Santa Clara and will continue to have individual pursuits.

The next Poet Laureate will serve from January 2027 - December 2028 and will receive a stipend of $6,000 per year.  

Eligibility Criteria for the Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

The Poet Laureate program is a program of the County of Santa Clara, overseen by the Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) and administered by SVCREATES. County requirements include:

• The Poet Laureate will be available to serve a two-year term.
• The individual will be a current Santa Clara County resident who has resided in the County for the past three years and has been published or recognized for poetry and literary contributions.
• The individual’s poetic interests respond to, or represent, the diversity of arts and cultures in Santa Clara County.
• The individual has demonstrated a commitment to and passion for poetry, and embraces the opportunity to engage with the community through the arts.
• All finalists will be asked to complete a customized background check administered through SCCLD, to be eligible to work with minors. For more details, see the FAQs (coming soon) or contact Sinjin Jones with questions or concerns.

Duties of Santa Clara County Poet Laureate

The Poet Laureate will undertake projects throughout the Santa Clara County community that will make poetry more available and accessible to people in their everyday lives, including these specific assignments:

• Design, lead, and participate in the San Jose Poetry Invitational event in Santa Clara County for National Poetry Month (April), in coordination with Poetry Center San José and SVCREATES.
  • Poet Laureate will design the event, invite other poets and artists to participate and emcee or host the event. Poetry Center San José will support event logistics and promote the event. 
• Conduct five readings and/or workshops at the request of the Santa Clara County Library District staff during each calendar year, 2027 and 2028.  All of these events will take place in libraries in towns/cities outside of San José but within Santa Clara County. 
• Participate in readings and speaking engagements for the County Board of Supervisors, other County departments, Santa Clara County cities, and other community events.
  • These events will be scheduled and tracked by SVCREATES and include up to 10 events per year. May include selecting and presenting appropriate works at dedications or memorials.
• Participate in the San José Poetry Festival as requested by Poetry Center San José.
• Actively promote Poet Laureate events/appearances and participate in social media activities related to Poet Laureate events and projects.

Previous Poet Laureates

Eight Poets Laureate have served to date: Nils Peterson (2009-2011), Sally Ashton (2012-2013), David Perez (2014-2015), Arlene Biala (2016-2017), Mighty Mike McGee (2018-2019), Janice Lobo Sapigao (2020-2021), Tshaka Campbell (2022-2023), and Yosimar Reyes (2024-2026).

During his tenure, among several projects, Peterson created a 100-line poem called “A Family Album, Santa Clara County, 2009.” Ashton led several projects as well and notably created “Poetry on the Move” that put poetry on VTA railcars and buses. Perez focused on youth arts education and outreach, teaching a poetry workshop series at elementary, middle and high schools and introducing poetry to the public via a Poetry Booth at high profile public events. Biala led numerous poetry workshops and brought a pop-up PoeTREE to many events and public spaces, encouraging people of all ages to write lines or short poems. Mighty Mike McGee worked with youth to inspire the next generation of poets through teen poetry slams, youth writing workshops, and youth open mic events. He was also active in open mic poetry and literature events for all ages. Janice Lobo Sapigao became a Poet Laureate Fellow with The Academy of American Poets and used fellowship funding to create the first Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate Program. Tshaka Campbell conceived and produced “Bringing the Light,” a series of initiatives to uplift youth poets, through the publication of an anthology, projections in public spaces and postings on VTA trains. Yosimar Reyes wrote and premiered his first play No Llegamos Aqui Solos, produced by San José-based theater company Teatro Vision, and conducted community writing workshops at county libraries.

To Apply:

Applications for Santa Clara County Poet Laureate open on July 6, 2026. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, August 14, 2026 at 5:00pm. Applicants will need to log in to set up an account and get started here. 

If for any reason you cannot submit application materials online, please contact Sinjin Jones at SVCREATES prior to the submission deadline to make other arrangements: Sinjin@svcreates.org

Review Process:

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of literary professionals from the greater Bay Area, based on artistic merit and commitment to engagement with the local/Santa Clara County Community. Selected finalists will be invited for an interview with program stakeholders, including SVCREATES and the Santa Clara County Library District.

Timeline:

• Application opens: July 6, 2026
• In-person application workshop: July 7, 2026, 6:30pm-7:30pm, Milpitas Library (no registration required)
• Online application workshop: July 10, 2026, 5:30pm-6:30pm | Register
• In-person application workshop: July 13, 2026, 6:30pm-7:30pm, Gilroy Library (no registration required)
• Application Deadline: August 14, 2026,  5:00pm
• Application Review: August 2026
• Finalist Interviews: September-October 2026
• Poet Laureate Announcement: November 2026
• The Poet Laureate will begin their term on January 1, 2027

KEY DATES:

Application opens: July 6, 2026

In-person application workshop: July 7, 2026, 6:30pm-7:30pm, Milpitas Library

Online application workshop: July 10, 2026, 5:30pm, Register

In-person application workshop: July 13, 2026, 6:30pm-7:30pm, Gilroy Library

Application Deadline: August 14, 2026,  5:00pm

Application Review: August 2026

Finalist Interviews: September-October 2026

Poet Laureate Announcement: November 2026

The Poet Laureate will begin their term on January 1, 2027