Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition
Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition
About the Annual Kent County Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition
The Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition was started in 1968 by poet James Allen at the urging of John Hunting, the founder of the Dyer-Ives Foundation, to encourage excellence in writing and to provide recognition for local work of high quality. The annual contest is open to poets ages 5 through adult who reside in or attend school in Kent County.
Submissions are accepted every February, and winners are selected in the spring. Winners selected in different categories have their poems published in Voices, receive a cash award, and participate in the annual Awards Reading Ceremony in June.
2025 Award Winners
Elementary School
Grades K – 2
1st Place: Niko Feenstra, I listen
2nd Place: Forrest Lasley, The Almost Christmas Poem
Grades 3 – 4
1st Place: Esley Schildhouse, Javi
2nd Place: Theo Lasley, The Published Fall
Honorable Mention: Fischer Feenstra, How to Find Magic
Middle School
Grades 5 – 6
1st Place: Isaac Rizkalla, The Torch
2nd Place: Abigail Briggs, Leaves
Honorable Mention: Ramona Scurek, Lantern
Grades 7 – 8
1st Place: Lily Anderson, Fear Not The Shadow Birds
2nd Place: Cooper Helder, Where I’m From
Honorable Mention: Addison Williams, My Bubble Moon
High School
Grades 9 – 10
1st Place: Mairyn Flores-Martinez, To The People Who
2nd Place: Lindsay Ramos-Vasquez, Untitled
Honorable Mention: Ari McDonald, Yearning
Grades 11 – 12
1st Place: Grace Scott, My voice.
2nd Place: Hardy Meijer, Twelve in a Field
Honorable Mention: Molly Christians, maple syrup
Undergraduate
1st Place: Chantale Van Tassel, If the verdict of Solomon (or: when losing a language)
2nd Place: Eliana Burgess, Old-Growth
3rd Place: Kallie Crouch, The Real Reason Grandma Quit Smoking
Honorable Mention: Angelina Firmalan, When I die turn me into a eucalyptus evergreen
Adult
1st Place: Zilla Zo (Zavion Watson), An Ossified Stinch of Pain
2nd Place: Marina Bruin, Bones
3rd Place: Colleen Alles, Mending the Fire
Honorable Mention: Sheila Shotwell, June
Honorable Mention: John Kissane, Ransom Ave
2025 Judge
Christine Stephens-Krieger, Grand Rapids Poet Laureate
The Poet Laureate is an ambassador of poetry for the City of Grand Rapids, creating programs and projects to foster the writing and reading of poetry by the public. Learn more.
Poetry Reading
Boredom Busters for Teens
Voices Publication
Voices is published annually to highlight the winners of the Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition.
Questions
If you have questions about the competition, email us or call 616.988.5400.
Teacher Resources
Sponsors
Special thanks to the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation — Dyer-Ives Foundation Poetry Fund for their support of this program.
