For more than forty years, the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University has aimed to bring poetry to everyday lives by fostering meaningful conversations and engaging diverse audiences around the world, empowering individuals to share their voice across divisions of language, age, and culture. The list below contains the current calls, contests, scholarships, and surveys for which we are currently accepting submissions.

Ends on This opportunity will close after 65 submissions have been received.
Submit to 2026 Wick Juniors Summer Writing Camp

Wick Juniors Summer Camp is for writers entering grades 3 through 12, from 

July 8-July 12, 2026 with a 

registration fee: $375.00*. 

The Wick Juniors Summer Camp is offered in partnership with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Students entering grades 3 through 12 will experience one day with the Wick Poetry Center teachers at Kent State University, followed by a three-night, four-day stay at the Environmental Education Center (EEC) in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Through guided hikes, outdoor exploration, and more personalized experiences, the young writers will explore how the natural world influences our writing. The experiences are unique to this camp, as the Wick Poetry Center works hand-in hand-with CVNP to combine nature, poetry, and play. A culminating reading will be held on the grounds of the CVNP on Sunday. The registration fee covers all expenses, including meals and lodging during the days spent at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Additionally, the young writers will receive a t-shirt, notebook, and pencils. To best serve your student, space is limited to 60 campers. A full camp itinerary for 2026 is forthcoming, but you can view last year's itinerary linked below. If you have any questions or concerns, please email: wickjuniors@kent.edu

*Scholarships available. 

Ends on $27.00
$27.00
Submit to 2026 Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize

This prize is offered annually to a poet who has not previously published a full-length collection of poems. The prize awards the winner with $2,500 and publication of their first full-length book of poetry by the Kent State University Press. The winner and the competition's judge will give a reading together on the Kent State campus. The winning collection will be selected by Camille Dungy.

   ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

  • The competition is open to poets writing in English who have not yet published a full-length collection of poems (including self-published collections).
  • There is a $27 reading fee.
  • Submissions must consist of 50 to 80 pages of poetry, with no more than one poem included on a page. 
  • The poet's name or identifying information must not appear on the manuscript. 
  • Include one title page with the manuscript title only. List all other contact information in the "cover letter" box of the submissions manager. Entries are judged anonymously. If any identifying information is found in the manuscript, including publication information or identifying dedications or notes, the manuscript will be disqualified.
  • Do not include an acknowledgments page. If an acknowledgments page is included in the manuscript, the manuscript will be disqualified. 
  • The manuscript may be submitted simultaneously to other publishers, but the poet must notify the Wick Poetry Center immediately if the manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere.
  • A winner will be announced in the fall of 2026





 

Wick Poetry Center