Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts And Culture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State College poet laureate reports school workshops, public events and national listing
Summary
Carmen Wong, the borough's first poet laureate, reported on youth workshops at Park Forest Middle School, planned public events, participation in Poetry Out Loud, and the borough’s listing on poets.org.
Carmen Wong, State College’s inaugural poet laureate, told the borough council that since her appointment in mid‑2025 she has organized community engagement, youth writing workshops and public events to lift local voices.
Wong said the laureateship launched with social media introductions and an early October "mix and mingle" community planning event. She described six in‑school workshops for sixth to eighth graders at Park Forest Middle School that produced student writing intended for publication and display, and she said the program will continue to expand into hospitals, assisted‑living facilities and public libraries as resources permit.
Wong said she will judge the upcoming Poetry Out Loud statewide competition and that the borough is now listed on poets.org, a national directory for municipal poet laureates. Council members praised the programming and encouraged continued collaboration with schools and local partners.
Poet laureate activities mentioned include an open mic at the Slough Library, youth showcases planned for February and later months, and efforts to centralize publicity via the borough listserv and social channels. Wong asked residents to support the program's expansion if possible.
