Submission Guidelines

Example Courses

SUBMIT NOW

Understanding Our Community

You’re Invited!

to teach at The Poetry Lab

The Poetry Lab has been building creative community since 2013, offering accessible, high-quality writing education to poets and artists around the world. Over the years, we’ve partnered with an incredible roster of teaching artists to deliver thoughtful, engaging courses. You can learn more about them here.

For the first time ever, we’re opening up our course proposal process to the public. In the past, we’ve curated our classes through invitation only—but now, we’re inviting you to bring your voice and vision to our community.

This is a special opportunity to teach with an organization rooted in care, creativity, and collaboration. At The Poetry Lab, we believe community is the heart of every workshop. We’re committed to uplifting traditionally underrepresented voices, fostering inclusive learning environments, and creating space for writers to grow—not just in their craft, but in confidence, clarity, and connection.

If you’re a teaching artist with a bold idea and a passion for building creative community, we’d love to hear from you.

What We Offer:

📆 4-Week Course Format (live on Zoom)
🙋‍♀️ Support Staff to assist with the development and hosting
🙌 Competitive Pay for all teaching artists
💟 Marketing Package to help promote your course to our global audience

Let’s work together to shape what’s next in poetry education.

Propose a Course

Ready to submit?

Click here ✔ to continue to the proposal form.

Accepted on rolling basis

Our submission process is quick and straightforward, designed to respect your time and creativity. Once you submit your proposal, you can expect to hear back from our team within 2 to 4 weeks. We review proposals on a rolling basis for each of our four seasonal teaching cycles: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

When you're ready, submit your proposal using the form below. We’re excited to learn more about your course and welcome your vision into The Poetry Lab community.

To complete your proposal, please have the following ready:

📘 Course Title
📝 Course Description
📅 Syllabus (4 weeks of class plans)
🎯 Student Learning Outcomes
👩‍🏫 Teaching Artist Bio

Keep reading 👇 More information below!

Get ready before you submit.

Here’s what you’ll need:

course title

Create a compelling and specific title that captures the spirit of your course and sparks student interest.

course description

A short, engaging summary of what the course covers, who it's for, and what students can expect. This will be used in marketing materials and should be written for a general audience.

syllabus

A detailed plan outlining the content of each of the four weekly sessions. Include the focus for each class, with examples of activities, readings, or assignments. This will show how the course achieves its goals.

student learning outcomes

2–4 clear statements describing what students will gain from the course. Outcomes might include new skills, completed drafts, expanded understanding, or creative breakthroughs.

teaching artist bio

A third-person biography (200 words or fewer) that includes relevant teaching experience, creative credentials, and any details that give insight into your teaching style or approach.