Submissions are now being accepted for the 17th annual award-winning Lehigh Valley Press Student Poetry Project.

In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, poems will be selected in each of the Elementary School, Middle School and High School categories. The first, second, and third place selections in each category will be published in the April 27 and April 28 Focus section in the eight Lehigh Valley Press newspapers and websites.

The student in each of the three categories whose poem is selected for publication on the front page of the Focus section can have his or her photo published, with the permission of the student’s parent or guardian, in the Press Focus section.

Three writers of the first-place poems will be invited to read their poems and be interviewed on “Lehigh Valley Arts Salon,” 6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. April 25, WDIY, Lehigh Valley Community Radio, 88.1 FM, www.wdiy.org.

The entry guidelines:

1. The Student Poetry Project is open to Lehigh Valley elementary school, middle school and high school public, parochial, private, charter, cyber and home-school students in the circulation areas of the Lehigh Valley Press newspapers: Salisbury Press, East Penn Press, Parkland Press, Northwestern Press, Whitehall-Coplay Press, Catasauqua Press, Northampton Press and Bethlehem Press.

2. Poems are to be submitted in PDF form and should not exceed one page in length using a font no smaller than 10 point. No illustrations will be accepted.

3. On the same page as the poem, include student name, age, grade, school, district, telephone number and email of parent or guardian for contact information only. The phone number and email will not be published or shared.

4. Each student may submit up to three poems, which must be his or her original composition. Each poem should be a separate entry. Individual poems should be at least 10 lines in length. However, students may submit up to three shorter poems on a single theme with a title, on a single page. Single poems shorter than 10 lines will not be accepted.

5. E-mail poems and-or questions to George VanDoren, Student Poetry Project coordinator: georgevan@me.com

6. Hand-written or printed versions of poems may be mailed to or dropped off to: Student Poetry Project, care of Lehigh Valley Press, 1633 N. 26th St., Allentown, Pa. 18104. Teachers may submit multiple class poems in a single envelope as long as they are on separate pages and contain the required student information.

7. Entries must be received by U.S. Mail or email by 5 p.m. March 18.

8. Permission of a parent or guardian is required for a student’s photo to be taken and published in the Focus section in the Lehigh Valley Press newspapers and websites.

9. Copies of poems will not be returned.

10. For ideas on teaching poetry: facebook.com/PoetryProjectContest/

Please follow the Poetry Project facebook page for a “Poem of the Week” and other information about poetry: https://www.facebook.com/PoetryProjectContest