Meet Isaiah Kahn, Oakland's 2026 Youth Poet Laureate

Congratulations to Isaiah Kahn, a 16-year-old rising junior at Oakland School for the Arts, named the 2026 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate (OYPL). Oakland At-Large Councilmember Rowena Brown presented the award to Kahn on June 5, 2026 during a live event where all six finalists performed their work.

Oakland's 2026 Youth Poet Laureate Isaiah Kahn receives a scholarship from Friends of the OPL with Friends President Ynez Arce and Oakland At-Large Councilmember Rowena Brown. Photos by Doug Zimmerman 

15 Years of Support from the Friends

The OYPL program doesn’t exist without the Friends' support. The Friends is proud to be the OYPL program's long-time funder: awarding a $5,000 college scholarship to the winner, and $500 to each finalist. The Friends also provides a grant that covers additional program costs.

The nation's second longest-running program of its kind

Now in its 15th year, the OYPL is the second longest-running program of its kind in the nation. It’s led by Oakland Public Library Teen Services and celebrates literacy through poetry. To learn more about this storied program, read the Q&A with OPL's Sharon McKellar and the OYPL site.

Kahn will represent Oakland through poetry, media appearances and community events. He cites Oakland and its culture of creativity and artistic expression as among the strongest influences on his work.

“I’m honored to represent Oakland in this way because it has shaped so much of who I am,” said Kahn. “I write about my people and my city and draw inspiration from both. I couldn’t imagine writing poetry anywhere else.”

Performance by 2026 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate, Isaiah Kahn 

Celebrating the OYPL 2026 Finalists

Isabel Shen with Isaiah Kahn. Photo D. Zimmerman 

The 2026 vice poet laureate is 17-year-old Isabel Shen, a junior at Head-Royce School. Through her poetry, she aims to amplify the voices of Oakland’s rich and diverse immigrant community and to change the way their stories are told in a time of conflict and crisis. She was honored alongside Kahn and fellow finalists Diego Aguilar-Rivera, Lina Norris-Raman, Mia Meza and Serafina Mackintosh. Honorary finalists Lola Christ and Luan Nguyen also were recognized. 

An Expanding Community of Young Writers

Kahn, Shen and the entire class of 2026 OYPLs join a vibrant community of program alumni.

Sharon McKellar, supervising librarian for teen services at the OPL said, “As we celebrate the 15th year of this program, the second-longest-running youth poet laureate program in the nation, we are thrilled to welcome our newest participants into this ever-expanding community and excited to see what Isaiah brings to this important leadership role.”

“Fourteen years of OYPL poets whose voices have carried beyond their moment in this program, beyond Oakland, and into their adulthood,” said McKellar. “They bring all the skills they developed with OYPL to all of their ventures and they are out there doing so much.”

Additional photos from the June 5, 2026 performances -- all photos by Doug Zimmerman. 

About the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate Program 

Now in its 15th year, the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate program is led by Oakland Public Library Teen Services and celebrates literacy through poetry while connecting young writers with opportunities for artistic expression and community engagement. Each year, Oakland writers ages 13 to 18 are invited to submit original work for consideration as Oakland Youth Poet Laureate. 

The youth poet laureate, vice youth poet laureate and all finalists are available for performances, talks and workshops. To submit a booking request, visit oaklandlibrary.org/yplbooking.