Poetry
Deadline for submission is Saturday, January 31, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. (Central Time).
The University of Iowa School of Social Work conducts an annual, nationwide poetry contest to acknowledge the creative talent of social workers and to draw attention to social work as a profession. “Hosting the national poetry contest here in Iowa City is a natural extension of what the School of Social Work has been doing for decades," says School of Social Work Professor Mercedes Bern-Klug, one of the contest's founders. "We have been offering a Creative Writing Workshop for social workers for more than 30 years, and the University of Iowa is known as 'The Writing University.'"
Rules for Submission
- Students, faculty, or alumni from United States CSWE-accredited social work programs may participate in the contest.
- There is no cost to enter.
- Only one submission is allowed per person, per year.
- The poem must be an original work by the person entering the contest.
- Entries will be judged on relevance to the experience of being a social worker (50%), poetic technique, style, creativity, and effectiveness (50%). Winning poems must be suitable for public display before a general audience.
- Poems will be judged by a panel consisting of social workers, writers, and/or poets.
- The deadline for submission is January 31, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
- The poem must be no more than 15 lines (the title does NOT count as one of the 15).
- An excerpt from a longer poem will be considered if it can stand alone.
- Previously published poems are not eligible for this contest.
- Poems must be submitted online. No paper or email submissions will be accepted.
- Submissions for the 2026 contest will be accepted between Novembet 1, 2025, and January 31, 2026.
The top three submissions will be awarded cash prizes and will be published on The New Social Worker website during National Poetry Month in April 2026. Submissions that meet the contest criteria may also be published on the University of Iowa School of Social Work website and/or social media.
- First prize: $200
- Second prize: $100
- Third prize: $50
Questions?
Email mercedes-bern-klug@uiowa.edu or call 319-335-1265. See full contest details and submission form on U. of Iowa website.