The deadline for entries to the 2025-2026 Vision+Voice writing competition has been extended to January 18, 2026.
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LET THE POETRY BEGIN
- This contest is open to all K-12 students in the ACC service area
- Submissions are open! The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2025
- Poets may submit as many poems as they’d like
- any topic or form is welcome (rhyming is NOT required!)
- all submissions will be published on this website
- winning poems selected by the ACC Liberal Arts: Humanities and Communications Division will be paired with artwork from an ACC student to create poetry posters
We can’t wait to read your poems!
And the Winners Are…
The judges have made their final decisions and we are thrilled to announce the winners in the 2024 Vision+Voice Poetry Contest.
As you you read these winning poems you will see that there is a lot of variety – some are funny, some are sad, some are mysterious, and some are beautifully simple. All of these poems succeed in presenting a vision or a feeling of the poet’s world in their own special way.
The poems are judged based on these 6 criteria:
Theme – Does the poem give readers a specific idea or perspective on a subject?
Originality – Does the poem offer a new or different way of thinking or feeling about that idea?
Language – Are the words precise and does their arrangement create a unified impression?
Imagery – Does the poem use figurative language (simile, metaphor) to create a vivid description and appeal to readers’ senses and imagination?
Impact – Does the poem evoke an emotional response from readers?
Technical Details – Are spelling and usage appropriate to the poem’s subject?
Judging poetry isn’t easy, and our judges take this task very seriously. There were hundreds of wonderful poems to choose from, and we are confident that these poems are a great representation of the best entries in this year’s contest.
THE 2024 VISION+VOICE WINNERS ARE:
1st Grade
Tennis by Remington R. / Ridgetop Elementary
Ode to Cats by Esme M. / Ascent Academy
Pickle Dog (a Haiku poem) by Enzo R. / Ridgetop Elementary
2nd Grade
My Amazing Family by Eva A. / Ridgetop Elementary
My Brother by Charlotte B. / Ridgetop Elementary
3rd Grade
The Snow Leopard by Taj M. / Doss Elementary
Sunflower Fields by Calder M. / Doss Elementary
Fire by Gracie H. / Boone Elementary
Books by Gracie H. / Boone Elementary
Words that Rhyme by Thomas E. / Boone Elementary
4th Grade
I Dream a World (Inspired by Langston Hughes) by Aria S. / Brentwood Elementary
My Friend Pencil by Cora T. / Ridgetop Elementary
Nature by Chloe C. / Ridgetop Elementary
They Call Us… by Isla P. / Brentwood Elementary
5th Grade
The Power of Words by Aida B. / Brentwood Elementary
I Am by Owen M. / Brentwood Elementary
Broken Hearts by Stella E. / Capitol School of Austin
6th Grade
The Ocean May Seem Beautiful by Renee K. / Gorzycki Middle School
FORGOTTEN by Lucia G. / Gorzycki Middle School
Scout from Shadows Thin by August W. / Gorzycki Middle School
Moldable by Avishka C. / Gorzycki Middle School
7th Grade
Observations of an Immigrant by Leelah V. / Lamar Middle School
Blank Page by Ivy A. / Lamar Middle School
Goodbye Toby by June P. / Lamar Middle School
5 Ways of Looking at Grief by Annikea E. / Lamar Middle School
8th Grade
Pirouette by Wren V. / Lamar Middle School
My Hobby Hullabaloo by Zeena H. / Gorzicky Middle School
Poems Hide (After Naomi Shihab Nye) by Lucy C. / Lamar Middle School
Looking For Hope by Em S. / Murchison Middle School
9th Grade
Threadcatcher by Stella S. / Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
Yesterday Girl by Asa W. / Austin High School
10th Grade
Versions by Brynn G. / San Marcos High School
After the Rain by Phineas E. / Austin High School
Nature by Bri H. / Stephen F. Austin High School
Just a Kid by Isabela M. / Stephen F. Austin High School
11th Grade
Silent Smoke by Sarah Y. / James Bowie High School
Dragon by Gabriela Mc. / James Bowie High School
Wildflowers Don’t Dance by Janani E. / Liberal Arts and Science Academy
Please Don’t Leave Me Shattered. by Kennedy A. / Austin Highschool
12th Grade
A Pennies Worth by Angelina M. / Austin High School
The Weeping Wood by Andrew B. / Stephen F.Austin High School
Blowing Sand by Locke S. / Austin High School
A Noise in the Woods by Deven N. / Stephen F Austin High School
Congratulations to all the poets, their teachers, and their families!
2023 Vision+Voice Literary Festival
This will be a huge event to celebrate all the K-12 poets who participated in Vision+Voice. This year for the first time, we are combining the K-12 event with the other literary competitions that ACC runs. The festival will include food & refreshments, literary goodies, music, open mic, spoken word and several writers and educators from our community.
Friday, April 28
5:30-8pm
6101 Highland Campus Drive
5:30-7pm: food & refreshments, music, open mic, spoken word and several writers and educators from our community
7-8pm: formal award presentation
Please invite your friends, family, teachers, principals. Everyone is welcome to the party. We can’t wait to see you!
Here’s a short video on how to get from the parking garage to the Vision+Voice event space at ACC Highland.
And the Winners Are…
The judges have made their final decisions and we are thrilled to announce the winners in the 2023 Vision+Voice Poetry Contest.
As you you read these winning poems you will see that there is a lot of variety – some are funny, some are sad, some are mysterious, and some are beautifully simple. All of these poems succeed in presenting a vision or a feeling of the poet’s world in their own special way.
The poems are judged based on these 6 criteria:
Theme – Does the poem give readers a specific idea or perspective on a subject?
Originality – Does the poem offer a new or different way of thinking or feeling about that idea?
Language – Are the words precise and does their arrangement create a unified impression?
Imagery – Does the poem use figurative language (simile, metaphor) to create a vivid description and appeal to readers’ senses and imagination?
Impact – Does the poem evoke an emotional response from readers?
Technical Details – Are spelling and usage appropriate to the poem’s subject?
Judging poetry isn’t easy, and our judges take this task very seriously. There were hundreds of wonderful poems to choose from, and we are confident that these poems are a great representation of the best entries in this year’s contest.
Stay tuned for more information about the 2023 Vision+Voice Literary Festival coming up on April 28 – we’re planning a huge celebration for all the winners, and we hope you will join us!
THE 2023 VISION+VOICE WINNERS ARE:
1st Grade
I BIT MY BED by Lyric B. / Maplewood Elementary School
Fried Chicken by James B. / Homeschool
2nd Grade
Happy Days by Luna Y. / Boone Elementary School
Having Fun by Luna Y. / Boone Elementary School
3rd Grade
Thanksgiving by Everly L. / Boone Elementary School
Bubblelian by Sparrow D. / Boone Elementary School
4th Grade
I Am From These Moments by Owen M. / Brentwood Elementary School
Toledo Bend by Aida B. / Brentwood Elementary School
5th Grade
Anger by Brodie K. / Boone Elementary School
I Am by Mateo L. / Boone Elementary School
6th Grade
Paintings by Annika E. / Lamar Middle School
All Quiet by Days End / Katherine R. / Gorzycki Middle School
7th Grade
Gone by Delinah O. / Gorzycki Middle School
moments to memories by Aubrey L. / Gorzycki Middle School
8th Grade
Words by Alexandra S. / Murchison Middle School
Blue and Gray by Stella S. / Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
9th Grade
My Grandfather’s Guitar by Ximena F. J. / Rouse High School
Car Crash in Cold Country by Josie B. / Liberal Arts & Science Academy
10th Grade
Sentimentos No encontrados by Jhoselin L. / Austin Achieve Public High School
The Power Of A Name by Victoria M. / Stephen F. Austin High School
11th Grade
Where I’m from by Caleb E. / Rouse High School
Chasing Birds by Ryan M. / Rouse High School
Only For a Season by Cicily H. / Stephen F. Austin High School
The Reality of Dreams by Claire D. / Stephen F. Austin High School
12th Grade
Ode to Dishes by Wallis B. / Stephen F. Austin High School
Dear Mother by Lani G. / Anderson High School
Congratulations to all the poets, their teachers, and their families!
Says Who?
The qualifications of the judges always comes to mind in any competition, and incredibly so in a field like poetry. There are lofty contests with scholarly judges in universities around the world, and perhaps some of the students who shared with us here will go on to participate in that sort of excellence. But who is there to see a grade-school poem for what it is, here? Who can judge the emerging artistry of now?
The first part of that answer is not a who, but a where: Austin Community College. With the imagination of Dean Mathew Daude-Laurents, ACC runs a variety of Vision+Voice competitions meant to showcase the wonder and necessity of subjects that require more creative and critical thought. The K-12 competition celebrates where that thought grows from, and the importance of early education.
This competition has seen a variety of judges throughout its cycles, but all share a similar appreciation and a connection to ACC. The 2022 cycle brought a unique mix of perspectives and experience. So who are they? In their own words:
W. Joe Hoppe taught Creative Writing and English at ACC from 1996-2020. He has a Master’s Degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from UT and was a post-graduate Michener Fellow. His poetry has appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies, and he has two full-length poetry books: Galvanized (2007, Dalton Publishing), and Diamond Plate (2012, Obsolete Publishing). His newest collection of poems is Hotrod Golgotha (2020, Obsolete Publishing). Joe has served as a Vision+Voice judge since it began in 2013.
Christina Brunson is a single mom; grandmother; sister to sixteen siblings; friend; multi-passionate entrepreneur; writer for a local news magazine; poet; ghostwriter; advocate for people and the arts; and a Creative Writing major. She’s one who challenges those who say she can’t do whatever she’s capable of. Simply put, she’s unapologetically vivacious and unstoppable.
Juniper Maldonado is a writer and poet who found their passion for literature as a student at ACC. They have since had work featured in the Rio Review and acted as co-editor for the Spring 2022 issue. They are currently busy hosting poetry readings and interning at ACC in support of the Creative Writing Program.
Ysella Fulton Slavin is the Outreach Coordinator for LHAC and is an adjunct professor for ACC Composition and Literary Studies. For over 20 years, she taught Literature and Creative Writing at El Paso Community College, was faculty sponsor for the award winning literary journal Chrysalis, and founder of EPCC’s Community Literary Center PaPaGaYo. She has an MFA from American University and her work has been published in numerous literary journals such as Folio, The Juggler, American Literary, BorderSenses among others. She is also the author of the novel Pomegranate published by Stanley Publishing and is currently working on its sequel Rosemary and Cilantro.
Both Juniper Maldonado and Christina Brunson were students at ACC during the course of the contest, both familiar and passionate about poetry and still in close contact with a student’s mindset. Similarly, Joe Hoppe and Ysella Fulton-Slavin’s experience as educators kept a sense of focus on the author’s point of view throughout the judging process. Vision+Voice is committed to continuing the trend to strengthen and foster the growing writing community.
Feedback from our judges
Thank you to everyone who submitted to this year’s Vision and Voice K-12 competition. We saw a lot of amazing entries and have announced our winners. Well done, Poets!
What is it that makes a good poem? One of the most beautiful (and frustrating) things about poetry is how subjective it is, how everyone who reads or writes it has a different idea of what it means. Below are comments from this year’s judges on what made some of our winning poems outstanding and insights on how they might apply to one’s own writing.
Judge Ysella Fulton-Slavin
On Mila G.’s Blue: “Love the use of the color Blue paired with tangible adjective.”
Using words that relate to the five senses allow poems to feel more tangible, more relatable, and more real.
On Lily G.’s Day Time Monsters: “ Very powerful poem–especially the line, ‘I am a child,/ do not say I thought this was a game.’”
Poems don’t have to be pretty. They can be used to make powerful statements.
On River M.’s chamomile: “I really love this poem–so full of wonderful, tangible images.”
Images are the building blocks of poetry; what the words make our minds see.
Judge Christina Brunson
On Leon S.’s Oculus: “The title caused me to look up its definition on my phone. A brilliant beginning to an interesting piece of work. Well done!”
A poem’s title can be just as important as the poem itself.
On Rainy B.’s The Sunbath of Glory: “The elusiveness of which animal is being described is fun in this poem. Well done!”
Describing something without saying what it is can be very interesting and gives room for the reader’s imagination.
On Marina A.’s Vovo: “I cried when reading this one. The innocence of this child’s love and adoration was well described. The sights, sounds, and smells are outlined beautifully. Awesome job!”
Memories can be full of emotion, detail, and can be an inspiring place to write from.
Judge Juniper Maldonado
On Sydney M.’s Snow, Heat, Cold: “The simplicity of this poem is really effective… I love how the meanings of simple words are shown to be both constant and multifaceted.”
Words can have different meanings in different contexts, like different shades of the same color.
On Farrah K.’s Paper Planes: “The imagery of the paper plane as a parallel to the commentary on childhood is interesting. Good use of a semicolon.”
Punctuation in poetry can be confusing, but can help keep things organized.
Judge W. Joe Hoppe
On Inez G.’s El avión de papel: “Excellent flow and imagery–feels like a paper airplane floating down the page. Lovely idea and metaphor.”
Focusing on a single image or theme can be really effective.
On Alexander D.’s GRITS: “Nice image and smooth flow–kind of like good grits.”
Flow is all about how well words go together, how they sound out loud and in our heads.
On Aden P.’s A sad background: “Poet uses personal history to make art (I assume it is autobiographical). Very glad that they are now loved and cared for.”
Poems can be used to express intense feelings and let your readers experience feelings along with you.
On Katelyn O.’s Monopoly: “Thoughtful and class conscious. Good points made in an interesting way.”
For as much as poems can express emotions, they can also be calls to action. They can be revolutionary.
We Have Winners!
Here are the excellent poems that our panel of judges have selected for recognition in the 2022 Vision+Voice Poetry Contest!
Congrats to all poets who participated, as well as the teachers and parents who encouraged this great work.
Stay tuned for news about how we will honor these wonderful winning poets!
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Blue by Mila G.
2nd grade / Ridgetop Elementary
Magic Science by Julian R.
2nd grade / Ridgetop Elementary
Sunlight and darkness by Camille R.
2nd grade / Ridgetop Elementary
Day Time Monsters by Lily G.
4th grade / Ridgetop Elementary
El avión de papel by Inez G.
5th grade / Ridgetop Elementary
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Oculus by Leon S.
6th grade / Lamar Middle School
GRITS by Alexander D.
7th grade / Gorzycki Middle School
A sad background by Aden P.
7th grade / Gorzycki Middle School
Afternoon in the Library by Stella S.
7th grade / Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
Numb by Cleo H.
7th grade / Lamar Middle School
Snow, Heat, Cold by Sydney M.
7th grade / Gorzycki Middle School
Sweetheart, your back is showing by Fiona L.
7th grade / Gorzycki Middle School
Telephone Pole by Isabella R.
7th grade / Lamar Middle School
The Arctic by Emma S.
7th grade / Lamar Middle School
The Ego of the Sky by Emma S.
7th grade / Lamar Middle School
The Sunbath of Glory by Rainy B.
7th grade / Gorzycki Middle School
Veilchenblau by Maya H.
7th grade / Lamar Middle School
Vovó by Marina A.
7th grade / Lamar Middle School
Waves of Peace by Ruby A.
7th grade / Lamar Middle School
art by River M.
8th grade / Lamar Middle School
bookstore girls by Lalitha G.
8th grade / Lamar Middle School
chamomile by River M.
8th grade / Lamar Middle School
Fairies (pantoum) by Caroline B.
8th grade / Lamar Middle School
Inspiration by Josie B.
8th grade / Lamar Middle School
kaleidoscope by River M.
8th grade / Lamar Middle School
Let the night rise by Josie B.
8th grade / Lamar Middle School
Paper Planes by Farrah K.
8th grade / Lamar Fine Arts Academy
STAR-SHAPED HOLES by Caroline B.
8th grade / Lamar Fine Arts Academy
HIGH SCHOOL
Monopoly by Katelyn O.
11th grade / Cedar Park High School
Seamstress for the World by Gibson H.
11th grade / Steven F. Austin High School
We’re Baaaaack!
Hello, Poets, Parents, and Teachers-
Yes, we’ve been away for awhile, temporarily blown off course by COVID like many things in our world have been. We’ve regrouped and retooled to come back to this project and we’re super-duper excited to help bring a new batch of poems to the world.
One of the great things about poetry is that it is not susceptible to supply-chain issues. Poetry can even thrive in our current situation. We have more time to read and write, and some deep feelings and thoughts that poetry can express.
LET THE POETRY BEGIN
- click HERE to submit your poem(s) to the 2022 Vision+Voice Poetry Contest
- this contest is open to all K-12 students in the ACC service area
- deadline for submissions is May 1
- poets may submit as many poems as they’d like
- any topic or form is welcome (rhyming is NOT required!)
- all submissions will be published on this website
- winning poems selected by the ACC Art Department will be paired with artwork from an ACC student to create poetry posters
We can’t wait to read your poems!
Deadline Extension!
Since this has been a rough school year for students, teachers, and parents, we have decided to extend the deadline for submissions to the 2021 Vision+Voice Poetry Contest to February 15. All K-12 students in the ACC service area are eligible to enter and poems of all languages are welcome.
Public school, private school, and homeschool students are encouraged to enter. SEND US YOUR POEMS!
