Student Contests

Poetry in Schools

Poetry in Schools remains one of the Poetry Society of Texas’ most successful programs. It is one of the largest student competitions among all the state members of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Inc. The competition is sustained by donors who give $25.00 or more as contest sponsors. The program also welcomes donations of support from those who do not wish to sponsor contests. For information about the competition or to become a sponsor and/or donor contact the chairperson.

The 2025 Poetry Society of Texas
Student Poetry Contest
Now OPEN!

Poetry Society of Texas has a long history of recognizing student poets, and since 1989 the society has offered contests for students from elementary school through high school. You can download a copy of the Official Rules below:

2025 POETRY SOCIETY OF TEXAS STUDENT POETRY CONTESTDownload

(Rules have been updated – but not changed – as of 12/3/2024 in order to clarify them and to answer frequently-asked questions. Poems must be written in English and the “Contest Number” is the same as the Student’s “Grade Level.” Changes are highlighted in blue, below.)

POETRY SOCIETY OF TEXAS 2025 STUDENT POETRY CONTEST

Sponsored by the Poetry Society of Texas

No Entry Fee
Open to all Texas public, private, and home school students currently enrolled in Grades 1—12. (12 Contests Total)

Each Grade Level has its own contest, so students compete only with others in their Grade Level.

Winners will be announced in April, 2025.
Winning poems will be published in a 2025 Student Anthology.
Winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd place, and Honorable Mention) in each Grade Level receive certificates and one copy of the 2025 Student Anthology.

Accepting entries now through February 1, 2025 (All entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2025)

Contest Rules

(Poem WILL BE DISQUALIFIED if student does not follow these rules.)

  1. Poems are to be entered by the student’s TEACHER or, in the case of home-schooled students, PARENT.
  2. Each student may enter only one poem, written in any style and on any subject.
  3. Poem must be the original work of the student written in English. (AI-generated poems are not acceptable.)
  4. Poem is not to exceed 28 lines, single-spaced (title and white space between stanzas are not counted as part of the total line count.)
  5. Line width should not exceed 60 characters (including spaces between words and punctuation.) Count carefully!
  6. A poem is not eligible that has been previously entered into any contest or published in any media except the student’s school publication.
  7. Contestants should retain a copy of their poems. Submitted copies will not be returned.

Preparation of Entries (Teachers and Home-schooling Parents)

  1. Submit two (2) typed or clearly printed copies of the poem. Poem should not exceed more than one page. 12-pt Times New Roman font is strongly preferred.
  2. In the TOP LEFT corner of BOTH COPIES, write the student’s Grade Level (Contest Number is the same as Grade Level).
  3. In the TOP RIGHT corner of ONE COPY (identification copy), write the following information: Student’s name, School name, School address, Teacher’s or Parent’s name, and Teacher’s or Parent’s email address.
  4. TEACHERS (PARENTS, if student is home-schooled) may submit student entries in one envelope. Please stack each student’s set with the identification copy on top. Please do not staple both copies together. The copy with no identification is used for judging.

Mail to:

PST 2025 Student Contest
c/o Catherine L’Herisson
518 Grinnell Dr., Garland, TX 75043

Postmark must be on or before February 1, 2025, but please mail as soon as possible.

Please direct any questions to Catherine L’Herisson at catherinepoet@juno.com or at poetrysocietyoftexas@gmail.com.

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2024 PST Student Awards!

See photos from our Student Awards Ceremony here.