Call for Youth Creatives!
Cultura Fest, in collaboration with the City of South San Francisco, San Mateo County Arts & Culture and its Poet Laureate, and Bay Area Creative, is launching a youth competition for ages 11–18 to showcase what culture means to you.
This is your chance to express your voice, share your story, and be featured at an event that celebrates identity, culture, and love.
Don’t miss this opportunity to have your voice heard by the community and shine on a big stage!
🌟 The winning poet will open at CulturaFest 2025 on August 23 with a live performance on the main stage — kicking off a day of community, creativity, and celebration.
CulturaFest celebrates Salvadoran and Latin American heritage, creativity, and community. It will be a day featuring live music, dance, art, food, and culture. The event will take place on August 23, 2025, 11:00am – 5:00pm, 400 Grand Avenue, South San Francisco.
✨ Let your voice be the spark that sets the celebration in motion. ✨
📝 Submission Guidelines
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Open to Bay Area youth ages 11-18.
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Entries are required to address the theme.
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Poems must be original with a 500-word maximum.
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All styles welcome: free verse, spoken word, rhymed poetry, etc..
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No photos or images included in the submission.
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One submission per person.
📧 How to Submit Entry
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Deadline to Submit August 11, 2025, 5:00 pm
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Submit entry here: https://bit.ly/CulturaFestYouthPoetry
Contest Rules & Judging Criteria
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Entries are required to address the theme and must relate to the student's own personal ideas or experiences to the topic.
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Entries must not exceed 500 words.
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Entries are judged based on clearly expressed, creative ideas, with an emphasis on clarity, creativity, and originality. Correct usage of basic grammar, structure, and writing skills are also considered.
🏆 Recognition
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Winner will perform live at CulturaFest 2025 on August 23.
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Runner-up poems will be professionally displayed throughout the festival grounds.
