Meet our new Salinas Youth Poet Laureate, Kenya Burton!  Kenya is a 20-year old Salinas native who has received multiple awards for her poetry and has made many public appearances reciting her poems. "Poetry is a huge part of my identity and who I am as a person. It has given me a way to communicate to the world in a beautiful way."

Watch her read her prize winning poem here. Our runner up is Michael Ndubisi, another talented poet whose poem you can read here. 

"We are thrilled at introducing Salinas' new Youth Poet Laureate, Kenya Burton," said Mayor Kimbley Craig. "We look forward to having them perform at upcoming city-sponsored events. Encouraging youth to explore their talents and supporting the arts is the lifeblood of this community."

Ernesto Lizaola, Community Education Manager, added that "All of the submissions were wonderful, and really showcased the talents of our local youth. It's too bad we couldn't award them all, but I'm confident Kenya will be a great spokesperson for Salinas' youth and for poetry in general." 

Support for this program is also provided by Friends of the Salinas Public Library (FOSPL) who provided funding to award a cash scholarship to the Salinas Youth Poet Laureate. FOSPL is a nonprofit organization of volunteers that works to provide supplemental funding for library programs and services, and to create public awareness and community support.

For questions, please call Ernesto Lizaola at (831) 758-7229.