(AGENPARL) – Mon 24 March 2025 City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release
March 24, 2025
Calling all young poets! City of Toronto launches Children’s Spring Poetry Contest
Today, the City of Toronto is launching its first Children’s Spring Poetry Contest, inviting poets aged six to 14 to write a poem about what they love most about Toronto’s parks.
Poems can be submitted online in any style and children are encouraged to explore topics such as nature, splash pads or their favourite memory at a local park.
Lillian Allen, Toronto’s Poet Laureate, will be selecting the winning poems in each age category. Age categories include children six to eight years of age, nine to 11 years of age and 12 to 14 years of age.
The contest is part of the City’s work to create vibrant communities by encouraging children to consider the value that parks and nature spaces represent to them, their family and community.
Submission criteria:
– Poems must be written by a child between the ages six and 14 years old.
– Poems should be no longer than 300 words long and must include a title
– Poems should be original and from the heart
– This contest is open to residents of Toronto with postal codes starting with “M”
– The deadline to submit a poem is noon on Monday, May 5.
More information about the Children’s Spring Poetry Competition and how to submit a poem is on the City’s website: http://www.Toronto.ca/PoetryContest
Quotes:
“Spring in Toronto can bring such wonderful memories for children, which is why we are excited to launch our first Children’s Spring Poetry Contest. This contest is an opportunity for kids to get creative and explore what parks in spring mean to them!”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“Young people writing poetry is a beautiful way to engage their hearts and imagination. Writing poetry is a gentle and powerful way for them to reflect and think about the beautiful gifts of spring and renewal and themselves and nature. They too can be creators! The world is kinda tough sometimes, but spring gives us hope! And hope springs eternal!”
– Lillian Allen, Poet Laureate