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Elizabeth Wong

Elizabeth Wong is a senior in high school and served as South San Francisco’s 2023-24 Youth Poet-in-Residence. She has a passion for writing and drawing and combining the two by illustrating her own story ideas and concepts. Her poetry centers around identity and how cultural and personal identity intersect to form the human experience. ReadContinue reading “Elizabeth Wong”

SMC Youth Ambassadors

In July 2023, the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture launched the Youth Cultural Ambassadors Pilot Program to encourage youth to: Seven Youth Ambassadors, including an Inaugural San Mateo County Youth Poetry Ambassador, were selected for a one-year term from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024. They were tasked to develop andContinue reading “SMC Youth Ambassadors”

The search for Burlingame’s first Youth Poet Laureate begins

At first glance, the contest to become Burlingame and Hillsborough’s first Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) appears to be just another creative writing competition for teens. But in order to “win,” applicants must have more than poetic flair. “You don’t necessarily need to be good at poetry,” said senior Eva Chen, who is Burlingame’s youth poet-in-residence.Continue reading “The search for Burlingame’s first Youth Poet Laureate begins”

Burlingame Youth Poet Laureate

If you are between the ages of 13-18 and live in or attend school in Burlingame or Hillsborough, you are invited to apply to be the City of Burlingame and Town of Hillsborough’s Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate! The Burlingame-Hillsborough Youth Poet Laureate will receive $500 at the end of their term. Read for more details.Continue reading “Burlingame Youth Poet Laureate”

Vegetable Garden Field Notes

A Filoli Vegetable Garden Activity facilitated by San Mateo County Poet Laureate Emerita Aileen Cassinetto, 15 September 2022 VEGETABLE GARDEN FIELD NOTES Activity: Describe Filoli’s vegetable garden through the 5 senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Name: ________________ Date: __________ Name a vegetable you see in the garden: ________What color is it: _______Name oneContinue reading “Vegetable Garden Field Notes”

The Future Is Poetry

“The Future Is Poetry” is a filmed roundtable co-produced by Aileen Cassinetto and Midpen Media Center as part of Cassinetto’s San Mateo County Youth Ecopoetry Project supported by The Academy of American Poets, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the County of San Mateo. This project was also one of 56 initiatives at the intersectionContinue reading “The Future Is Poetry”

Christopher Wachlin

Christopher Wachlin co-founded Stoneslide Media which publishes both Stoneslide Books and The Stoneslide Corrective. He is a long-time member of the San Francisco & Peninsula Writers, a branch of the California Writers Club, and served on the San Mateo County Poet Laureate Advisory Committee from 2013 to 2019. He lives with his wife on aContinue reading “Christopher Wachlin”

Fego Navarro

Fego Navarro, Lyrical Opposition‘s Creative Director, is a Salvadorian American rapper/actor. Fego’s musical journey in hip-hop began in his teen years at church. After church services, he would get together with his friends and kick freestyle raps outside the temple. This developed into a passion for writing his own songs and attending local open micsContinue reading “Fego Navarro”

Christian Bustos

Christian Bustos is the Founder and Executive Director of the Brisbane-based nonprofit Lyrical Opposition. He is a San Francisco State University alumnus where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Electronic Communication Arts with an Emphasis in Business. Within the arts community, he’s known as spoken word poet Cross Allan. He is also the ExecutiveContinue reading “Christian Bustos”

Menlo Park Rotary Scholars

These Hopeful Days A Community Poem by Menlo Park Rotary Scholars, curated by San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto (Prompt: “I Hope”) I hold on to what springs eternal, like a thing with feathers perching on a twig, on the lookout for an audacity of red- hued daylilies. I hope for my furry friend Continue reading “Menlo Park Rotary Scholars”