PA Humanities has announced the recipients of its first-ever Rain Poetry Grants, a new round of funding that will support youth-centered public poetry projects in 10 Pennsylvania communities — including one in Berks County.
The Boyertown Community Library was selected as a 2026 Rain Poetry Grant recipient and will receive $4,000, along with individualized coaching from PA Humanities staff and access to the organization’s Rain Poetry Toolkit. Each grantee is required to provide a dollar-for-dollar match through funding or in-kind support.
According to PA Humanities, the grants expand its Rain Poetry program, which invites young people to write original haiku that are later transformed into water-activated installations placed in public spaces. The poems appear when it rains or when water is applied to the surface, creating an interactive art experience tied to the natural environment.
The Boyertown library was the only Berks County organization named among this year’s awardees. Other recipients include groups in Allegheny, Bucks, Cumberland, Delaware, Erie, Lehigh, McKean, and Somerset counties.
PA Humanities said grantees were chosen through a competitive review process and will spend 2026 developing their projects, with public installations and reveal events planned to highlight youth voices in their respective communities.
State lawmakers praised the program’s reach. Representative Shelby Labs (PA-143), whose district includes Pearl S. Buck International in Bucks County — another grant recipient — called the initiative an investment in young people and public spaces.
“Supporting programs like Rain Poetry is an investment in young people, community life, and the shared civic spaces that bring us together,” Labs said. “I’m excited to see this work reaching communities across the Commonwealth and in my district at Pearl S. Buck House.”
Senator Jay Costa (PA-43), whose district includes Pittsburgh, also voiced support after one of his local institutions, Rodef Shalom Congregation, received a grant.
“I’m delighted that Rodef Shalom is a Rain Poetry grant recipient and will be taking part in this beautiful program,” Costa 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.”
Rain Poetry launched in 2023 as part of PA Humanities’ 50th anniversary and has since engaged hundreds of students in workshops led by poets and teaching artists. Past installations have appeared in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, and Johnstown, with collections of student work published for each city. In 2025, a selection of poems from multiple sites was installed outside the State Library of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg and unveiled at an event attended by First Lady Lori Shapiro.
In October 2025, PA Humanities released a free Rain Poetry Toolkit to help schools, libraries, and community organizations replicate the model 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,” said PA Humanities executive director Laurie Zierer. “When youth voices are visible and valued, communities across Pennsylvania are stronger.”
Cheryl A. Castro, president and CEO of Pearl S. Buck International, which will host a project in Perkasie, said the program aligns with the late author’s legacy.
“We are truly thrilled and deeply honored to be a Rain Poetry grant recipient,” Castro said. “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.”
PA Humanities said Rain Poetry is supported by a mix of public and private funding, including grants from the William Penn Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance, The Grable Foundation, The Wyomissing Foundation, and several state agencies.
More information about the Rain Poetry program and toolkit is available at pahumanities.org/rainpoetry.
