Each Youth Poet Laureate serves a one-year term of service, during which they promote a wide range of literary arts and participate in ceremonial, educational and cultural activities throughout the county. They represent and celebrate the diversity and history, and vision of the youth, in Ventura County. During their term, each Youth Poet Laureate is actively involved with local colleges and high schools, and helps to create or facilitate workshops and readings that will bring them into contact with students of all ages, and with the public in a variety of contexts. Through various activities, they encourage community members to develop their own creative interests.

The Ventura County Youth Poet Laureate Ambassadors serve alongside the Youth Poet Laureate to advance and promote literary arts and humanities in the county. They are fellow emerging poets who have previously been recognized as leaders in their community and nominated for Youth Poet Laureate candidacy.

Each year VCAC accepts submissions from talented Ventura County writers to be considered for the county's top literary honor for youth. We convene a Youth Poetry Laureate Committee, which is broadly representative of the Ventura County literary community, to review submissions and recommend one or more candidate for consideration.

VCAC makes the final appointment of the Youth Poet Laureate, who earns a $500 stipend, a published book of their poetry, and embarks on a year of opportunities as an ambassador for literary arts and youth expression. They also qualify to be selected as the National Youth Poet Laureate.

Current Ventura County Youth Poet Laureate Anya Shah is the third person to hold the laureateship. It was previously held by Angelina Leaños, Genesis Perez and Unique Shehee.