Bronx teen awarded prestigious honor will now begin one-year poetry tour as part of Urban Word program
NEW YORK – Stephanie Pacheco, 18, is from The Bronx and dreams of using her poetry and prose as tools for liberation and a better world; she has been named the 2023 New York City Youth Poet Laureate.
The young poet was awarded the prestigious title at a commencement ceremony on Tuesday evening held at the historic Federal Hall in lower Manhattan.
“I am so honored to have this title and be able to represent the communities that I love so dearly. This one is for all of us. We are supposed to dream this big,” said Pacheco
Stephanie was one of 14 finalists in the NYC program, which selects young writers and leaders, ages 13-19, committed to creating change through civic engagement and poetic excellence. The finalists participated in a paid virtual fellowship program led by Urban Word. Stephanie will begin a one-year tour, making special appearances throughout the New York metropolitan area.
“Stephanie is truly a testament to the impact an emphasis on poetic and community organizing can have on a young person’s trajectory,” said Urban Word Executive Director Shanelle GabrieShe deserves this prestigious title, one of the most prestigious ones this city has to offer. I know that as the NYC Youth Poet Laureate, Stephanie will continue being the creative leader she has demonstrated she is.”
As a student and organizer from The Bronx, Stephanie describes herself as a fierce advocate for educational equity and social justice across New York City. She’s worked with several activist organizations, including the Healing Centered Schools Task Force and Teens Take Charge.
The NYC Youth Poet Laureate award began in New York in 2008 as the nation’s first-ever youth poet laureate program and has since spread to dozens of other cities. That led to creating a national competition, with the 2017 inaugural winner, Amanda Gorman, reading her poem “The Hill We Climb” at Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration and, more recently, addressing the U.N. General Assembly.
Urban Word provides young, creative voices – often marginalized – the tools, training , and platforms to rewrite the narratives that shape their lives and communities. Based in New York City, the group annually serves more than 25,000 NYC youth between the ages of 13 and 19 through its local and school-based programming efforts and thousands of youth through its national programs, including the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, its signature model for youth poetry and civic engagement replicated in communities across the country. More information is available at urbanword.org.