Press & Media: FAQ
What is Poetry Out Loud: National Poetry Recitation Contest?
Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Beginning at the classroom level, winners will advance to school-wide competitions, then to regional and state competitions, and ultimately to the National Finals in Washington, DC. More than 300,000 students are expected to take part in Poetry Out Loud this year.
Where will Poetry Out Loud take place?
State arts agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enlisted high schools to participate in the official Poetry Out Loud program.
Who created Poetry Out Loud?
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation created Poetry Out Loud. At the state level, each state arts agency (SAA) has received an NEA grant of $20,000 to assist with expenses of program coordination and the state final event.
Who can participate in the official Poetry Out Loud contest?
The official Poetry Out Loud contest is administered at the state level by state arts agencies in all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. State arts agencies will define the scope of participation on a state-by-state basis. All types of high schools are welcome to participate, including public, private, parochial, independent, charter, etc. The official contest will be limited to schools identified by the state arts agencies.
Are schools that are not part of the official contest welcome to participate in other ways?
All schools nationwide may visit www.poetryoutloud.org for free program materials. Using these materials, they are welcome to conduct their own "unofficial" poetry recitation competitions and introduce their students to classic and contemporary poetry.
Are program materials available?
The NEA and the Poetry Foundation will provide all program materials (teacher's guide, poetry anthology, CDs, posters) for distribution to participating schools. Materials are also available on this website, www.poetryoutloud.org.
When will Poetry Out Loud take place?
Schools participating in the official competition are implementing the program and conducting their classroom and school-level contests between September 2009 and February 2010. State contests will be held by March 18, and the National Finals will take place April 26-27, 2010 in Washington, DC.
Is there a prize for state finalists?
Each state-level final competition will award $1,000 in cash prizes. Each champion at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The second-place finalist in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library.
Are there prizes at the National Finals?
Poetry Out Loud will award a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends at the National Finals, including $20,000 for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion, and $10,000 and $5,000 for the second- and third-place finalists. The remaining nine finalists each receive $1,000, and the schools of the top 12 finalists each will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry books.
In total, Poetry Out Loud will award more than $100,000 at state- and national-level contests.
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.