About the Program

Poetry Out Loud 2006 National Finals Video Produced by WGBH Educational Foundation and renowned filmmaker David Grubin, this short video highlights the 2006 National Finals of the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. Interviews with state champions reveal how they got involved in the competition, and how it transformed their ideas about poetry and themselves. 12 minutes. QuickTime : Windows : Real Note on accessibility: the video is captioned. In Quicktime, click on "CC" to turn captions on or off.

Recitation and performance are exciting current trends in poetry. There has been a resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of hip-hop music. Poetry Out Loud builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with state arts agencies of the United States to support Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

After successful pilot programs in Washington, DC, and Chicago, the second phase of Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools across America in the spring of 2006 with tens of thousands of students participating. Last year nearly 325,000 students competed. Amber Rose Johnson from Rhode Island was named National Champion on April 27, 2010.

The program will continue to grow during the 2010-2011 school year, culminating in the 2011 National Finals in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2011.

CONTEST STRUCTURE AND AWARDS
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners will advance to the school-wide competition, then to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals.

Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be awarded at the National Finals.

Awards will be made in the form of lump sum cash payouts, reportable to the IRS. Tax liabilities are the sole responsibility of the winners and their families.

PROGRAM MATERIALS AND SCHEDULE

Poetry Out Loud curriculum materials include print and online poetry anthologies, a teacher’s guide to help instructors teach recitation, an audio CD featuring distinguished actors and writers, a DVD of National Finals performances, promotional and media guides, and a comprehensive Website. Hard copies of all materials are free for teachers participating in the official program. All curriculum materials are also available for free download on the Poetry Out Loud Website. Schools not involved in the official contest are welcome to use the online materials.

While teachers, students, and poetry lovers everywhere can use this website and its accompanying educational materials to organize their own recitation contests, the official contest is limited to the programs run by each state's arts agency. If you are an educator interested in participating in the official program, please contact your state arts agency.

Poetry Out Loud materials are sent to high schools in August and September, and participating schools run the program through early winter. (The program itself requires only two or three weeks of class time and does not require full class periods.) States will hold their competitions by mid-March. Following the state finals, the National Finals will be held in Washington, DC, April 28 & 29, 2011.