VERMILION — Vermilion and surrounding communities have a chance to put their creativity on display this spring as the Vermilion Poetry Society opens its 2026 Poetry Contest for students in grades 2–12.
This year’s theme is friendship, and students are asked to submit an original poem that is no longer than 40 lines or 1,000 words. Entries will be accepted from Jan. 15 through March 31, 2026. Submissions received after March 31 will not be considered.
The contest is open to students in three divisions: elementary (grades 2–4), middle school (grades 5–8) and high school (grades 9–12). Poems will be judged anonymously. Students are asked not to put their name on the poem itself, and instead to list identifying information on the back, including the student’s name, age, grade and school, teacher’s name, home address, email and mobile phone number. A parent permission form is required.
Prizes will be awarded at the grade level, with $50 cash for first place and $25 cash for second place. All entrants will receive a certificate of honorable mention, and first- and second-place poems will be displayed at Ritter Public Library for one year.
Entries and parent permission forms may be mailed to Vermilion Poetry Society, P.O. Box 557, Vermilion, OH 44089, or dropped off at Ritter Public Library.
A reception and poetry reading is scheduled for April 25, 2026 at 2 p.m. at Harbourtown Fine Arts Center. Complete rules and the required permission form are available with the contest materials online.
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