Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize

The Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize, established in 2019 by the Academy of American Poets with support from Treehouse Investments, honors exceptional poetic works that illuminate the climate crisis. The goal of the prize is to promote awareness of environmental vulnerability through the literary arts, leveraging the powerful medium of poetry to inspire reflection and activism. This initiative underscores the Academy’s broader mission to support American poets and foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry. The prize recognizes four winning poems each cycle, awarding $1,000 for first place, $750 for second, $500 for third, and $250 for fourth place. Beyond the monetary rewards, the selected poems gain significant exposure through their publication in the Poem-a-Day series, which reaches over 500,000 readers. They may also be featured in the acclaimed Teach This Poem educational series, used by more than 40,000 educators weekly. This dual visibility affirms the Academy's commitment to integrating poetry into public and educational discourse on urgent environmental issues. Eligibility is inclusive and open to any poet who is a U.S. citizen, has been a resident in the United States for the ten years prior to the submission deadline, or holds specific legal statuses such as DACA, TPS, or LPS. The Academy mandates compliance with legal reporting for cash prizes, requiring Social Security Numbers or equivalent identification for tax purposes. Applicants must uphold the Academy’s standards of integrity and fairness throughout the competition period. The submission window for the 2026 prize runs from September 15, 2025, to November 15, 2025. Poets may submit only one previously unpublished, original poem, anonymized to conceal the author’s identity. Submissions may be in Spanish if accompanied by an English translation. Spoken word or performance poets are permitted to include an audio recording. Entry is free, and submissions must be uploaded through Submittable in .doc, .docx, or .pdf formats. Audio file formats are also accepted. Submissions are reviewed by a panel that includes poet Craig Santos Perez and climate scientist Dr. Clara Deser. Poets who have studied with the judge in full-time courses within the past three years are not eligible. The Academy does not accept revisions after submission and is not responsible for user errors during the upload process. All applicants will be notified of results via email by April 30, 2026. This prize is an annual opportunity, with the next expected submission period likely beginning in September 2026. Its annual recurrence ensures a continual platform for environmental poetry. For questions, applicants may contact the Academy at awards@poets.org.

Maintain anonymity of the poem; follow format instructions; submit only one poem; ensure original unpublished work.