Hawaiʻi Youth Poet Laureate program returns to the Hilo Palace Theater

The Hawaiʻi Youth Poet Laureate program returned with its first ceremony at the historic Palace Theater in Hilo, connecting Hawaiʻi’s young voices to a growing community of youth writers and advocates nationwide.

After a yearlong pause, the program found new leadership and a renewed mission under the Archive for Health, Arts & Spirit, bringing together young voices from across all islands in a celebration of poetry, culture, and connection.

Safa Ahmed, 17, a senior at Punahou School in Honolulu, was named the 2026 Hawaiʻi Youth Poet Laureate for their powerful contrapuntal piece “ʻAʻole i pau”—a meditation on sovereignty, land, and the enduring spirit of the Hawaiian people.

As laureate, Safa will spend the next year as a youth ambassador, attending workshops and producing work representing the youth perspective from across the islands. They will also join a national network of youth poets through Urban Word, which is the premier spoken word, poetry, and literary arts organization in the country.

The finalists were Miranda Yap, Kaci Reyes, Maile Dunn (Punahou School), and Moss Kuon (Kamehameha Schools Maui). All five finalists will have the opportunity to join the Urban Word national network as part of this recognition.

The Archive for Health, Arts & Spirit, a Hawaiʻi-based organization working at the intersection of arts, health, and community well-being, will feature selected poems in its Connection is Prevention social media campaign.

The event was led by Travis Kaululāʻau Thompson and Kalehua Fung, a former Hawaiʻi Youth Poet Laureate, with a grounding oli and introduction offered by Hōkū Pavao.

“Poetry has always been one of the most honest ways we have of telling the truth about our lives,” said Travis Kaululāʻau Thompson. “These young poets reminded us that when we give youth a language for what they feel, we give them a way through. That is prevention. That is healing. That is what this work is for.”

“Our stories are not just memory. They are medicine,” Pavao said. “Hawaiʻi has always known this. Our moʻolelo carry the wisdom of our ancestors, the truth of our land, and the future of our people. When young people stand up and speak from that place, from that deep well of who we are, they are not just performing. They are healing. They are continuing the line. That is why this work matters.”

The Hawaiʻi Youth Poet Laureate was recorded and streamed by Nā Leo TV. The National Youth Poet Laureate Finals were held by Urban Word on April 25.