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Arts Commission News

Mississippi Arts Commission Announces 2009-2010 Poetry Out Loud Program

DATE:          September 1, 2009 

CONTACT:    Susan Dobbs, Public Relations Director

601/359-6031, sdobbs@arts.state.ms.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

JACKSON - The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) is pleased to partner with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation to present Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.  Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.  From September 2009 through January 2010, high schools statewide are invited to participate in classroom and school-wide contests leading toward one of three Mississippi Regional Contests in early February. The Fifth Annual Mississippi State Finals will be held in Jackson on Thursday, March 11, 2010. The state champion will advance to the National Finals held in Washington, D.C. April 25-27, 2010.

Shaniqua Wesley from Water Valley High School in Water Valley was the winner of the 2009 Mississippi State Finals and represented the state at the National Finals in Washington, D.C., where she competed against young people from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation contest to high schools across the country.  Beginning at the classroom level, winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to the state contest, and ultimately advance to the National Finals.  More than 100,000 students across the country are expected to participate in the 2009-2010 Poetry Out Loud program.

Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry – recitation and performance.  The program builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among today’s youth.  Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theatre into the English class.  Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. 

“Learning great poetry by heart develops the mind and imagination,” said Dana Gioia, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.  “It isn’t just an arts program.  By immersing themselves in powerful language and ideas, the students will develop their ability to speak well, especially in public.  This is a skill they will use in the workplace and the community for the rest of their lives.”

It is the goal of the Mississippi Arts Commission to involve as many students from across the state as possible. "The Poetry Out Loud program in Mississippi has grown from a handful of high schools being involved, to over 30 participating high schools,” says MAC Education Director, Kim Whitt. "Poetry in the classroom has put our students back in touch with their rich literary heritage."

The NEA and the Poetry Foundation have partnered to provide administrative grants to state arts agencies, prizes, and will coordinate the National Finals next April.  With the support of these national organizations, the Mississippi Arts Commission plans to engage high school students from all of Mississippi's public, independent, parochial, and home schools.  Additionally, the NEA and the Poetry Foundation will provide state arts agencies with free, standards-based curriculum materials for participating schools. 

Taking part in Poetry Out Loud can be as simple or as involved as each individual school wants it to be: It can start in one classroom or engage an entire District, offering an outstanding educational experience for the students. In order to participate in the 2009-2010 program, schools must submit a registration form (available at www.arts.state.ms.us ) by December 11, 2009. All registered schools will receive a complete "training kit" that includes both an audio CD and a DVD video to help prepare their student contestants.

 

High School teachers who are interested in participating in Poetry Out Loud can contact Ken Bolinsky, State Coordinator, at poetryoutloud@arts.state.ms.us or by calling 601-823-0642. For a complete program outline, visit www.arts.state.ms.us or www.poetryoutloud.org .

The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency, funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Wallace Foundation, Donna & Jim Barksdale, The Phil Hardin Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, and other private sources.  MAC is the official grants-making and service agency for the arts in Mississippi. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.

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