Hilo Palace Theater hosts return of Hawaii Youth Poet Laureate program
Hilo’s Palace Theater welcomed back Hawaii’s Youth Poet Laureate stage after a yearlong pause, crowning 17-year-old Safa Ahmed and reopening a statewide path for young writers.
The Hilo Palace Theater reopened as a stage for Hawaii’s young poets with a finalist showcase that ended a yearlong pause in the Youth Poet Laureate program and put Hilo back at the center of a statewide arts pipeline. For Big Island families, the return carried more than ceremony: it restored a place where student writers could be seen, heard and connected to opportunities beyond a single night in the spotlight.
The April 16 showcase, held under new leadership from the Archive for Health, Arts & Spirit, drew finalists from across the islands and folded poetry into a broader conversation about health, healing and community care. AHAS, a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) collective of educators, artists and cultural leaders, said it took on the work in October and has already reached more than 2,000 youth across all islands through programming centered on social-emotional well-being and cultural and linguistic connection to Hawaii. The organization also said selected poems will be featured in its Connection is Prevention social media campaign, extending the reach of the finalists’ words after the theater lights dimmed.
Safa Ahmed, a 17-year-old senior at Punahou School, was named the 2026 Hawaii Youth Poet Laureate for a contrapuntal poem titled Aole i pau. AHAS said the poem centered on sovereignty, land and the enduring spirit of the Hawaiian people. Over the coming year, Ahmed will serve as a youth ambassador, attend workshops and represent the youth perspective across the islands, giving the award a practical next step beyond recognition alone.
The other finalists were Miranda Yap, Kaci Reyes, Maile Dunn and Moss Kuon. Punahou School said four of the five finalists were Punahou students, a reminder that the program’s strongest participation still clusters at a handful of schools even as it reaches young writers statewide. AHAS said the finalists also will have the opportunity to join the Urban Word national network, which connects young poets and advocates nationwide and was founded in 2008.
The program itself is still young in Hawaii. Statewide youth laureate efforts launched in 2022 as a collaboration of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the Hawaii State Public Library System and the Hawaii Council for the Humanities. Miya Peterson held the title in 2024, the fourth Hawaii Youth Poet Laureate designation, underscoring how rare the platform remains. In Hilo, the reopening of the Palace Theater stage offered something larger than a title: a visible, islandwide route from student writing to mentorship, public performance and future leadership.
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