SUMMARY

For a decade, the National Youth Poet Laureate program has honored some of the country’s top young writers who are using their work to inspire social change. Fred de Sam Lazaro recently sat down with the 2026-2027 laureate in his hometown of Cedar Falls, Iowa. It’s part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

View the transcript of the story.

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

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WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Who is Daniel Umemezie, and what is his background?
2. What activities or practices does Umemezie mention as being a key part of his education?
3. What themes or ideas does Umemezie explore within his work?
4. Why did Umemezie first enter poetry competitions?
5. How does Umemezie describe the significance of moving countries and building new relationships on his writing?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1. How important is it to have the National Youth Poet Laureate program for young creatives like Unmemezie? Why do you think the program exists?
2. Umemezie discusses how he uses experiences and memories to fuel his writing. How is poetry a unique way to explore memory and communicate those past experiences with others?

Media literacy: Umemezie plans to travel around the country holding readings and workshops. For young poets and other creatives interested in activism, how significant is it that Umemezie was interviewed and allowed to share his perspective and goals?

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Visit the National Youth Poet Laureate anthology page. Read through some of the linked poems, which were written on themes of home, place and identity. After reading, students should discuss the poems and how they differ based on student and place. Some guiding questions can be:

• How do you see the themes listed above reflected in the poems? Can you relate to any of the ideas expressed? Would you describe any of these themes differently?
• Because lived experience offers a way to understand ideas in a deeper and oftentimes more significant way, some may consider youth poets to be uninformed on the issues they speak of because of their age. What does it mean for these youth poets to express their ideas, and for the national organization to share them so others may read and connect with them?

Written by Alyssa Tinoco, News Hour Classroom intern, and PBS News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio

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