Enter Fifth annual Student Poetry Project

The Student Poetry Contest is now The Lehigh Valley Student Poetry Project.

The name change marks the fifth anniversary of popular annual Press newspapers' Focus section youth literary event.

Moreover, the name change is in recognition of a new outreach effort where students will be able to record their peers reading poetry they have written.

This new outreach is a joint effort with WDIY, Lehigh Valley Community Public Radio, which partnered last year with The Press for the student poetry program.
In celebration of April National Poetry Month, the top three poems in each category will again be published in the April 21 and 22 Focus section of the Press newspapers.

The student whose poem places first in each category may have his or her photo published with his or her winning poem in the Focus section.

And again for 2010, first place winners are invited to read their poems on the "Lehigh Valley Arts Salon" 6-6:30 p.m. April. 19 on WDIY-FM, 88.1.

English and Language Arts teachers are encouraged to include the poetry contest in their instructional lesson plans.

Entry guidelines

The Lehigh Valley Student Poetry Project is open to high school, middle school and elementary school students in school districts in the circulation areas of The Press: East Penn, Salisbury, Parkland, Northwestern, Whitehall-Coplay, Catasauqua, Northampton and Bethlehem, as well as students attending private, parochial, charter and cyber schools in the Press newspapers' circulation areas.

Here are the entry guidelines for The Lehigh Valley Student Poetry Project:

1. Poems are not to exceed one typed, double-space, maximum 60-space line, 8 1/2 by 11-inch page.

2. Poems must be the original work of the student.

3. One poem entry per student.

4. Permission of a parent or guardian is required for a student's photo to be taken and published with the first place poem.

5. Entries must be received by March 15, 2010.

6. Only one poem may be submitted per email. Email submissions are encouraged.

7. Multiple entries from classrooms may be submitted in one envelope.

8. Copies of submitted poems will not be returned.

9. Include student name, age, school grade, school, and telephone number (or that of parent or guardian) for notification if the poem is chosen. Addresses, emails and phone numbers will not be published.

10. Email your poem, with Student Poetry Project in the subject line, to: pwillistein[@gmail.com; mail to: Student Poetry Project, The Press, 308 E. Third St., Bethlehem, Pa. 18015, or drop off at The Press offices, 308 E. Third St., Bethlehem; or 633 N. 26th St., (26th Street and Walbert Avenue), South Whitehall Township.

Questions? Contact Paul Willistein, Focus Editor, pwillistein[@tnonline. Com