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Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest

About the Program

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This exciting new program, which began in 2005, helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. The recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form is 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.

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 the state competition and ultimately to the National Finals.

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

Program materials and schedule

Poetry Out Loud curriculum materials include print and online poetry anthologies, a teachers guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance, an audio CD featuring distinguished actors and writers, promotional and media guides, and a comprehensive Website. Hard copies of all materials are free for schools participating in the official program. All curriculum materials are also available for 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 the Mississippi Arts Commission.

Poetry Out Loud print materials will be sent to Mississippi educational institutions that serve students in grades 9 through 12 in September 2009, and participating schools will run the program through early winter.  (The program takes only two or three weeks of class time - many teachers use it as part of a poetry unit.)  The three Mississippi Regional Competitions will be held in February and the State Finals will be held on March 11, 2010 at Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson.

Click Here for the Poetry Out Loud Registration Form

Regional Competitions:

Southern Region - Monday, February 1 at 1:00pm - MGCCC Perkinston Campus

Central Region - Wednesday, February 3 at 1:00pm - Margaret Walker Alexander National Research Center in Jackson

Northern Region - Friday, February 5 at 1:00pm - B.B. King Museum, Indianola

 

For more information on Poetry Out Loud, contact Poetry Out Loud Coordinator, Ken Bolinsky or 601/823-0642 or MAC Arts Education Director, Kim Whitt at 601/359-6037.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009 Contest

The 2009 contest was held on Friday, March 13th at Mississippi Public Broadcasting in Jackson.  Nine contestants from around the state participated and did an outstanding job representing their schools and communities. 

The top four contestants at the 2009 Poetry Out Loud Mississippi Finals were (pictured from left) Cheyenne Stovall from Columbia High School, Charence Higgins from Rosa Scott School, Millicent Kennedy from Mississippi School of the Arts and Shaniqua Wesley from Water Valley High School.

Contest Winner, Shaniqua Wesley from Water Valley High School (left) and runner-up, Millicent Kennedy from Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven (right).

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