By S.Browne. Updated 1:32 p.m., Friday, January 16, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Young writers can compete in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) 2026 Creative Youth Competition, focusing on poetry, for a share of $26,000 in cash prizes, tokens and trophies.
According to the ECCB, the Creative Youth Competition (CYC) is designed to allow full-time students of secondary schools and colleges, aged 12–20 in the eight ECCB member countries, to demonstrate their creativity, critical-thinking skills and talents through various genres including essay writing, poetry, song writing and art.
For 2026, students who wish to participate in the competition will be required to create a poem on one of the following topics: Voices of a Changing Caribbean, Becoming Me – Exploring Identity, Growth and Self-discovery, or Through My Own Eyes.
The ECCB requires students to submit a three-minute video of themselves reciting the poem.
The topics were selected in collaboration with secondary school teachers and students from the ECCB member countries.
The entries will be judged in two categories: ages 12 to 15 and 16 to 20, and will be assessed for creativity and originality, quality and execution, adherence to the selected topic and clarity, use of medium and overall impression, and freedom of expression.
It was also noted that cash prizes, tokens and trophies amounting to $26,000 will be awarded to the top three winners, their respective schools, and individuals who mentor the students in the creation of their pieces.
The entries for the 2026 ECCB Creative Youth Competition must be submitted via the CYC portal on the ECCB’s website no later than March 31, 2026.
More information about the ECCB Creative Youth Competition can be obtained from the Bank’s website, http://www.eccb-centralbank.org, and Facebook page, ECCB Connects.
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The information was sourced from a press release by the Agency for Public Information.
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