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Illinois Humanities Announces 10th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards Winners

Illinois Humanities announces the winners of the 2026 Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards, honoring 39 young poets from across Illinois. Selected from a record 1,063 submissions, the award-winning poems highlight themes of identity, family, heritage, and belonging. The annual competition celebrates Gwendolyn Brooks’ legacy by elevating the voices of Illinois students in grades K-12.
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Road Scholars Speaker Spotlight: Jasmin Cardenas

Meet Jasmin Cardenas, a Chicago-based storyteller, arts educator, and member of the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. Through her presentation, WorkersTEATRO: Applying Theater to the Fight for Workers Rights, Cardenas uses theater, storytelling, and the humanities to amplify workers' voices, build community, and inspire civic engagement across Illinois.
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Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

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