Poetry to Bridge Generations
Poetry is the voice of the soul.
Each year the Intergenerational Poetry Contest awards prizes to local youth and adults over 50 to help bridge the gap between the generations. In 2019 we are adding one more participation group to the contest; UNO and UNMC students ages 19-49 are now eligible to particpate as poets. The event features a Winners Celebration to hear and discuss readings of the winning poems.
This program, created in 2008, is maintained by a partnership of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Gerontology with public and private schools connected by the UNO Dual Enrollment Program and Service Learning Academy. The Omaha Public Libraries and the Nebraska Writers' Collective were UNO's founding community partners. The Nebraska Writers' Collective continues to partner with UNO to manage this event. Student members of the university chapter of Sigma Phi Omega (SPO), which is the national gerontology academic honor society, and the SPO faculty advisors coordinate the program.
The 2018 contest concluded with the Winners Celebration and Poetry Slam on Sunday, October 14, 2018. Read a selection of winning poems from elders and winning poems from youth.
2019 Intergenerational Poetry Contest Information
When: Sunday, October 20, 2019
Time: 2:30 -4:30 p.m.
Where: UNO Campus, Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC), (Room to be determined)
Why: To Bridge the Generations
To participate:
Group 1: youth in grades 7 through 12 (group name: Youth)
Group 2: Adults age 19-49 who attend UNO or UNMC (group name: UNO/UNMC)
Group 3: Adults age 50 and older (group name: 50+)
Each entrant submits two poems:
Poem 1: How the world views or how society treats older people
Poem 2: How the world views or how society treats teenagers.
Criteria for judging poems are unconventional. We are looking for poems in any format that are authentic, insightful, and expressive. No hate speech is accepted.
Submission information:
When: July 1, 2019 to October 1, 2019
How: Online, Email, or Mail
What: 2 poems per entrant
Include on each poem in the upper right corner:
1. Your age group (Teen or 50+)
2. Your full name, address, phone, and email address
3. Title of your poem
Prizes for each age group:
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First Place |
$100 |
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Second Place |
$ 50 |
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Third Place |
$ 25 |
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Honorable Mention - 7 awarded |
$ 10 |
The top three winning poets from each age group will read their poems at the Winners Celebration & Poetry Slam on October 14, 2018. Parking is open to the public and a map can be viewed here.
See the event flier.
Ways to submit:
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Online |
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Attn: Sigma Phi Omega Poetry |
Questions should be directed to unospochapter@unomaha.edu or by calling 402.554.2272.
The Intergenerational Poetry Contest is an annual event. The goal is to connect generations and enrich lives of older and younger persons. It is sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha - Dual Enrollment Program and Department of Gerontology in partnership with the Nebraska Writers' Collective.