In 2026, Mayda del Valle was named an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow. Mayda del Valle will create a one-week spring break poetry camp serving thirty Chicago Public School (CPS) students in grades 7–12 during March 2027. The camp responds to a gap in youth programming by providing free, high-quality literary arts programming that centers creativity, community, and access. Open to CPS students and youth engaged in existing poetry programs across the city, the program will take place in downtown Chicago and create a sense of belonging and give young people an opportunity to tell their stories. Led by two Chicago Poetry Center Poets in Residence, the camp will include daily poetry workshops and student support through transportation, meals, and participation stipends. In addition to building writing skills, the program will create opportunities for cross-city connections among young people from different neighborhoods, schools, backgrounds, and experiences. The week will culminate in a public reading where participants will share original poems with family, friends, and community members, followed by the production and distribution of a chapbook featuring student work. The program centers the stories and voices of young people while supporting creative expression, self-advocacy, confidence, and social-emotional skill building.