Foothill College Student Poet Laureate

Foothill College Student Poet Laureate

In 2025-2026, the first college Poet Laureate was commissioned by administration, staff, and faculty. With support from the President’s Foothill Experience Fund, Foothill College hopes to be a longstanding annual tradition: to name a Student Poet Laureate, an individual who will be an advocate for student voice, fostering an understanding of and appreciation for the critical role of poetic expression in creating a sense of belonging and justice. 

The role of a poet laureate is to be an advocate for the literary arts, poetry, and community. Poet laureates typically engage with the community through readings, workshops, and community-based projects. We envision the Foothill Student Poet Laureate to be an advocate for student voice, fostering an understanding and appreciation for the critical role of poetic expression in creating a sense of belonging and justice. 

The poet laureate is a writer who uses radical imagination to both speak the truth of our current realities while also envisioning a different world, and a new future where community care and creative collaboration can inspire emerging writers and thinkers on campus to speak their own truths. The poet laureate celebrates linguistic diversity and linguistic sovereignty, recognizing that all voices, languages, dialects, and forms of verbal expression have equal and lasting power, especially when used creatively and authentically.  

To be eligible for this position you must have:   A passion for poetic expression An understanding of the relationship between language and social justice A respect for linguistic diversity and linguistic sovereignty and creative expression that honors authentic student voice  A commitment to fostering student voices A commitment to enroll at least part-time for the next academic year (position tied to enrollment)

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities of the Foothill Student Poet Laureate would include: 

• Set the tone: Define the theme/message for the 26/27 Academic Year 

• Facilitation: Facilitate student-centered workshops: poetry workshops that nurture up-and-coming student voices. One per quarter, located in the Linguistic Justice Center (total of 3 workshops)  

• Collaborations: Collaboration with organizers of annual Language Arts Writing Conference  

• Performance: A minimum of 4 events per year with original compositions. The Poet Laureate can then choose additional events and choose what works to read (their own or that of others). Some suggested events include: 

• • Opening Day (for college employees) 

• • Creative Writing Conference  

• • Commencement 

• • Transfer Ceremony  

• • Ethnic Studies Summit 

• • RSLS 

• Meet with a faculty advisor: Meet bi-weekly for mentorship in creative writing and community engagement.  

Poet Laureate Honorarium (Stipend):

• $2500 per academic year  

Process & Timeline: Application Deadline: May 29, 2026 Interview with selection committee: Between June 8, 9, 10  Selection committee will be made up of faculty, Language Arts Dean & students.

Submission Materials:

• Online application – short questions & short essay responses 

• Sample of poetry – written & short video of a person reading their own work  

• In-person interview with selection panel  

• Optional – 1-2 letters of recommendation from Foothill faculty or staff 

Submit Your Application Here