Boyertown PA
2-03-2026 4:08am

Boyertown Community Library Earns Poetry Grant

[ Press release from PA Humanities.]

PA Humanities has announced the recipients of its first-ever Rain Poetry Grants, awarding funding to ten youth-serving organizations from across Pennsylvania to develop public humanities projects that center young voices, encourage community connection, and bring poetry to public spaces.

The 2026 Rain Poetry Grants mark an expansion of the popular statewide program that encourages and mentors young people to write haiku poetry and then brings their words to life through water-activated installations in their communities. Grantees were selected through a competitive review process and will each receive $4,000 plus individualized coaching from PA Humanities staff, in addition to the public Rain Poetry Toolkit launched last fall. All grantees will provide a dollar-for-dollar match through funding or in-kind donations.

The 2026 Rain Poetry Grant Recipients are:

(Organization - City, County)

  • Basement Poetry - Bethlehem, Lehigh County
  • Boyertown Community Library - Boyertown, Berks County
  • Carlisle Arts Learning Center - Carlisle, Cumberland County
  • Chester Writers House / Sparrow House - Chester, Delaware County
  • City Charter High School - Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
  • Confluence Creative Arts Center - Confluence, Somerset County
  • Corry Higher Education Council - Corry, Erie County
  • Friends’ Memorial Public Library - Kane, McKean County
  • Pearl S. Buck International - Perkasie, Bucks County
  • Rodef Shalom Congregation - Pittsburgh, Allegheny County

Rain Poetry blends educational opportunity, creativity, and community, and has steadily drawn support from legislators who appreciate the value the project brings to their districts.

“Supporting programs like Rain Poetry is an investment in young people, community life, and the shared civic spaces that bring us together,” Representative Shelby Labs (PA-143) said. “I’m excited to see this work reaching communities across the Commonwealth and in my district at Pearl S. Buck House.”

“I’m delighted that Rodef Shalom is a Rain Poetry grant recipient and will be taking part in this beautiful program,” Senator Jay Costa (PA-43) said. “For over a century and a half, Rodef Shalom has been a critical community institution that embodies the spirit of these projects: lifting up young voices, bringing together communities, and showcasing art in public spaces. As a co-chair of the bicameral, bipartisan Legislative Arts & Culture Caucus, I’m always heartened to support opportunities that bring the arts alive in our communities. I commend PA Humanities for establishing such a wonderful program.”

Since its debut in 2023 as part of PA Humanities’ 50th anniversary, Rain Poetry has engaged hundreds of young people, supported dozens of workshops led by poets and teaching artists, and produced hundreds of original poems. These works were installed in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, and Johnstown, and all were published in special poetry collections for each city. In 2025, a selection of poems from all the Rain Poetry sites was installed outside the State Library of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg and revealed during a special public event attended by First Lady of Pennsylvania Lori Shapiro, highlighting the program’s statewide reach and impact.

After partnering directly with schools, libraries, and afterschool programs, PA Humanities publicly launched the Rain Poetry Toolkit in October 2025 to support broader participation statewide. Developed with insights from past project experiences, this free toolkit offers practical guidance and step-by-step resources to help schools, libraries, cultural organizations, and community groups implement Rain Poetry projects in their own neighborhoods.

“Rain Poetry is an opportunity for young people to take the lead as celebrated creators and thinkers in their own communities,” PA Humanities executive director Laurie Zierer said. “When youth voices are visible and valued, communities across Pennsylvania are stronger.”

Projects by Rain Poetry Grant awardees will be developed throughout 2026, with public installations and reveal celebrations designed to spotlight the words of young people within their communities.

“We are truly thrilled and deeply honored to be a Rain Poetry grant recipient,” said Cheryl A. Castro, President and CEO of Pearl S. Buck International, a 2026 Rain Poetry Grant recipient. “It feels especially meaningful knowing that Pearl Buck herself would have delighted in seeing children gather on her property to create art, give voice to their imaginations, and share their words.”

Rain Poetry is part of PA Humanities’ ongoing work to spark creativity, strengthen communities, and connect people through the power of the humanities. Its expansion has been made possible with the support of Pennsylvania’s state legislators. Funding has been provided by William Penn Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance, Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Wyomissing Foundation, with support from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, administered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Financing Authority, and the Department of Community and Economic Development Community and Economic Assistance Program.

For more information about Rain Poetry and the Rain Poetry Toolkit, visit pahumanities.org/rainpoetry.

PA Humanities is an independent nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and part of a network of 56 state humanities councils across the country. Its mission is to champion the humanities as a means to spark civic engagement, build community, educate, and inspire.

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