The Louine Schaufler Youth Poetry Contest
Submissions accepted from August 1 - November 15 each year
Established in the fall of 2021, the purpose of the contest is to encourage poem-making by South Dakota students.
Who can submit poems?
There are two categories: middle school and high school.
Any South Dakota students in those grades are eligible to submit.
What should I submit?
Students may submit up to three of their best poems that somehow relate to the overarching theme “growing up in South Dakota.”
We don’t mean for this to be too restrictive, so write about what you are thinking about and feeling, but we also want some relation to life here in particular. The poems need not be autobiographical.
When should I submit my poems?
The contest is open from August 1 through November 15th every year.
How is the contest judged?
Judging will be conducted by members of the South Dakota State Poetry Society board.
What are the awards?
Each category (middle school and high school) is judged separately. The prizes are $75 for first place, $50 for second, and $25 for third in each category.
How can I submit?
You can either submit online or mail your submssion. To submit online, use our submissions manager, Submittable, by clicking this button:
If mailing your submission, the entry should be postmarked by the deadline, November 15th, and sent to:
SDSPS/Louine Schaufler Youth Poetry Contest
11138 Stafford Loop
Belle Fourche, SD 57717
What if I have questions?
Please contact us with any questions!
We look forward to reading your submissions.
About Louine Schaufler
Born in 1923, in Lebanon, South Dakota, Louine Wheeler was the oldest of six children. Her mother died when she was nine, and she and two of her siblings were raised by her mother’s sister and husband in Salem. After graduating from St. Mary’s High School, she married “Butch” Schaufler and together they ran a successful farming operation for over fifty years. To bring in extra money, but mostly I think because she enjoyed the people, she also worked at Humboldt Supply.
She was active in the community and her church and made the most wonderful pies.
Although she never had any of her own, my Aunt Louine had a soft spot for children. I suspect each one of her nieces and nephews thought he or she was her favorite. I don’t know if she enjoyed poetry, but she praised my attempts as if they rivaled Frost or Dickinson.
She lived to be 96 years old and I still sent her my poems. Every writer needs a cheerleader and it is my hope that this contest will pass on some of my Aunt Louine’s encouragement to others.
By Jane Wheeler, who established the contest in her aunt's honor.
Teachers’ Resources
The Raincoat
by Ada Limon
Below are several lesson plans* based on poems for teachers use and inspire your students to create and revise their own poems. Each plan includes questions to answer before reading, the poem link, poetry analysis questions, and writing prompts based on the analysis.
(Note: A link is included to read each poem, but we cannot republish them here.)
The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Lesson plans and revision tips written by Jodi Andrews, MA.
I Give You Back
by Joy Harjo
Revising Your Poem
Lesson Plan