Bucks County Community College, which has been nurturing writers for more than 50 years, calls on creative young people to enter the 36^th annual Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contest for the chance to win $300.

Students have until Friday, March 10 to submit three original poems, according to Dr. Ethel Rackin, director of the Bucks County Poet Laureate Program, which runs the Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contest.

The contest is open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who live in Bucks County or attend a Bucks County high school. Home-schooled students may also enter. Previous winners are not eligible. In addition to the prize money, the winner receives a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners, and the opportunity to read at a public reception. Runners-up and finalists in the contest will also be invited to read at the public event.

“Entering the High School Poet of the Year contest may give students a chance to discover and develop a talent they may not have realized they had,” said Rackin, a language and literature professor at Bucks. What’s more, participating in the public poetry reading may help a student stand out in the college search.

“Mentioning the contest, public reading, and anthology on college applications will demonstrate initiative, writing skills, and public speaking experience,” Rackin added. “Clearly, there’s a lot to gain from entering this contest.”

Each participant must submit three original poems with an application form at: bucks.edu/hspoetentry

The contest will be judged by the current Bucks County Poet Laureate Tom Mallouk and the former poet laureate Nicole Steinberg.

To learn more about the Bucks County Poet High School Poet of the Year program, visit www.bucks.edu/poets. For more information, contact Dr. Ethel Rackin at ethel.rackin@bucks.edu.

Learn more about the contest at Bucks County Community College.