The City of Philadelphia named its fourth Youth Poet Laureate Thursday, and the youth is a member of the LGBT community.
Otter Jung-Allen is a rising senior at Science Leadership Academy who identifies as transgender.
“We are proud to have Otter Jung-Allen serve as the City of Philadelphia’s Youth Poet Laureate and to lead by example in demonstrating to young Philadelphians that poetry can be educational tool, a form of expression and a means of connection with people of all ages,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement.
The city’s Poet Laureate Governing Committee and Poet Laureate Yolanda Wisher selected Jung-Allen for the title, which was created in 2013. According to program officials, the role “provides an opportunity for an outstanding young poet to give voice to their fellow students and children through the medium of poetry.”
Wisher will serve as a mentor to Jung-Allen, and the pair will together promote poetry, literacy and arts education at local events and Philadelphia School District programming.
PGN had the opportunity to sit down with Jung-Allen at today’s ceremony and will publish our full interview next week.
