Urban Word champions youth voice by providing platforms for literacy, self-expression, civic engagement, and leadership through free creative writing, college prep workshops, and performance opportunities. Headquartered in New York City, Urban Word 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 the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, a renowned program that celebrates youth for their excellence as writers and their impact on their communities.
Urban Word champions, centers, elevates young marginalized voices as leaders at the intersection of the literary arts and civic engagement.