of Prince George's County
Michaela Lacy (2018)
THE RADIANCE CONTINUES - Congratulations goes out to Prince George's 2023 YPL Precious Foreman for recently winning the title of MISS BLACK MARYLAND TALENTED TEEN 2025!! ...and of course for the talent portion of the event, you KNOW she blew everyone away with her poem, "An Ode to Big Women"!
The Inaugural Arlington County, Virginia
Youth Poet Laureate
Amasa Maleski
ATTENTION ALL CREATIVE WRITERS GRADES 8 THRU 12
WHETHER YOU ARE AN ASPIRING POET, AUTHOR, STORYTELLER OR PODCASTER
SIGN UP NOW FOR THE PGCPS TEEN WRITERS CONFERENCE
The Teen Writers Conference is a unique and enriching experience designed for student writers across Prince George’s County. This conference is a one-day event in which you will engage with professional authors and educators to enhance your writing skills, explore professional aspects of writing, and interact with professional writers in a fun and supportive environment. As a participant you will also have the opportunity to share and perform your work. For more information, call 301-237-6684
OUR 2020 COUNTY YOUTH POET LAUREATE, MARISSA MICHEL, has proven herself to be a multi-layered artist, moving from poetry to digital art, and now to FILMAKING!
Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025
Time: 2:30 PM
Location: Bowie Branch Library,
15210 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD 20715
Admission: FREE and open to the public
RSVP @ eventbrite.com keyword: DIALECT
Dominique Holder (2016)
GRATITUDE GOES OUT to our 2022 YPL Imani West for the leadership, grace & creativity shown throughout her laureateship, touching hearts & minds everywhere from community centers to the Kennedy Center! Her soft-spoken yet magnetic performances has inspired hundreds across the DMV, even earning herself an internship at The White House! Way to go, Imani!
WITNESS Montpelier's "Hidden Spaces" presentation, which explores the side entrances, passageways & sleeping areas for the enslaved which were tucked away throughout the mansion.
LEARN the stories of resilience & resistance from our people - for example; every year, there were at least 30 instances of runaway slaves from Montpelier.
AFTER THE TOUR, go exploring on your own, relax outside in the courtyard, talk to the guides, or walk along the trail surrounding the property - writing & reflecting.
WE ARE INTERNATIONAL! Here, our 2019 & 2021 Prince George's Laureates are interviewed by BBC News about The Amanda Gorman Effect
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SEVEN FINALISTS
ARIANNA FULCHER - Brentwood
CHARLENE BADAWU - Fort Washington
ELIZABETH ALARAPE - Laurel
KAYLEE JOGE - Riverdale
ADEBIMPE OMOTOSHO - Upper Marlboro
NEVAEH WILLIAMS - Temple Hills
XAVIER PERRY - Upper Marlboro
FOR THESE TEENS, This is the first step to a professional career as a writer & public speaker - any organizations interested in booking any of our youth poets for any functions, please contact Patrick Washington at 301 237 6684 or Neville Adams at 240 426 2629
Precious Foreman (2023)
One Youth Poet Laureate. Four Ambassadors. Five youth poets who are paving the way to the future.
LEARN MORE
PAST PGC YOUTH POET LAUREATES
Mi'Jan Credle (2019)
This highly anticipated event will feature the Poetry Slam, where the 7 finalists from across Prince George’s County will perform their original poems and be judged on their delivery, creativity, and emotional impact. The highest-scoring poet will be named the 2025 Prince George’s County Youth Poet Laureate!
In addition to the Poetry Slam, attendees will enjoy a performance showcase honoring past Youth Poets Laureate—from 2016, the year the program was founded, to now. The showcase will highlight the evolution and success of the program, emphasizing the incredible contributions of youth poets over the years.
COMING IN APRIL - NATIONAL POETRY MONTH PROJECTS
CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF
ELEVATING & AMPLIFYING
YOUTH VOICES
SANIYA PEARSON - THE 2024 PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY YOUTH POET LAUREATE
YPL PROGRAMS ARE SPROUTING EVERYWHERE! In his new role as Poetry Director for Words Beats & Life, Inc., Patrick Washington is helping to craft new Laureates for other areas outside of Prince George's County. Let's welcome these new young leaders!
SAINEY CEESAY, OUR 2021 YPL, has continued making her mark beyond her Laureateship by lending her voice for multiple virtual events & speaking engagements. She was recently commissioned to write and perform an original poem dedicated to the grand opening of the new Hyattsville Library and absolutely blew everyone away! Everyone loved her poem so much that after her standing ovation, the PGCMLS official asked for a copy of the poem to frame in the Library's front entrance - now THAT'S how to leave an impression!
JOIN US AT THE 2025 PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY YOUTH POET LAUREATE FINALS
Saniya (Poetry S.A.P.) Pearson is the 2024 Prince George’s County Youth Poet Laureate and a 16-year-old student in Central High's International Baccalaureate program. Throughout these past few years, she has apprenticed at Words, Beats, and Life (WBL) non-profit arts organization, performing everywhere from the University of Wisconsin's Passing the Mic Public Showcase, to the Kennedy Center for the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" album, to San Francisco as part of the DMV Slam Team to compete in the Brave New Voices International Poetry Festival. Most recently, Saniya had the pleasure of delivering a socially conscious piece at the Inaugural Legislative Day for the Prince George's County executive administration, school board, civic leaders, and elected officials. Saniya has a passion for advocacy on climate change, economic equality, mental health, legal justice equity, and reform.
Saniya has a passion for community service. Often, she collaborates with the Green Team, an environmental-oriented club at her school, where they brainstorm and execute new ideas to improve their community. From trash clean-ups to planning and revamping the school’s greenhouse, they made sure to leave their impact on the world. She was their main spokesperson during morning announcements in 2022, creating what is now known as Green Team News. As a result of their hard work, they were one of the Prince George’s County Public Schools winners of the 2022 Waste Division and Recycling Awards. At Central, she tutored and assisted teachers in her classes, particularly Geometry (2022-23) and Algebra 2 (2023). Many students she’s tutored have better understood the subject and improved their grades. Due to her efforts, she has accumulated over 30 service learning hours. She also assists in her church, Nothing But The T.R.U.T.H. Ministries, singing during praise and worship and teaching children's church.
The Inaugural Montgomery County, Maryland
Youth Poet Laureate
"Sasa" Aakil
Her poetry performance begins at 39:00
SAINEY IN ACTION!
DIALECT OF PRINCE GEORGE'S
Sainey Ceesay (2021)
Imani West (2022)
ONCE AGAIN THIS SPRING, The Dialect Poets and YPL Ambassadors will visit the Montpelier House Museum in Laurel, Maryland as part of the, "Fighting Destiny Tour".
Marissa Michel (2020)
OUR 2024 YPL has been busier than any other Youth Poet Laureate before her - touching hearts & minds across the DMV! Saniya has performed at gala events for the Library of Congress, the National Center for Children and Families, The Community Foundation, and at the official ribbon cutting for Bowie State University’s new multi-million dollar Martin Luther King Jr. Communications Center.
Samantha Jackson (2017)
Marissa recently teamed up with 2022 YPL Imani West to shoot & edit a video for Imani's original poem titled, "My Hair My Crown" - a short film that follows Imani as she explores her hair journey through the years & how her hair affects how she is perceived by the world around her. The video features Poetry and interviews recorded at the beautiful Wellspring Manor Spa and at Natural Touch Hair Studios in Upper Marlboro.
Check out the video below!
Youth Poets
Copyright © DIALECT of Prince George's County. All rights reserved.DIALECT USA, LLC recognizes and celebrates the importance of the spoken, the written and the rhythmic word no matter where it originates. We realize that even though our inflections & use of language may change between age, race, gender and cultural lines, it is the sound of our VOICES that when properly harnessed, can become the most powerful tool known to humanity through shared experiences, affirmations of love, pleas for peace and declarations of being.
DIALECT OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MD provides artists with the space for expression and the skills for growth as practitioners of the stage arts. We understand that for many, a simple opportunity is the much needed bridge that can lead to success, and so we provide not only basic training in these areas, but we partner with additional County organizations in creating avenues & windows that will assist in cultivating full-fledged careers in the arts for both youth and for young adults.
+1.13012376684
dialectofpgcounty@gmail.com