Poetry Out Loud In Your School

“Art has been elevated and energized here at USM because of this marvelous program (POL).  Poetry is alive and well in our halls, and we are the better because of it.”  —Susan Bell Zarwell, University School of Milwaukee

For the fifth year, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the Wisconsin Arts Board is presenting POETRY OUT LOUD, a poetry recitation contest for high school students. The program may become a part of your school’s language arts curriculum by including it in general English classes, speech, drama, creative writing and AP classes.  The program can also arrange for workshops in your school on poetry and poetry recitation with  noted Wisconsin poets. Classroom and school contests may be held by mid-January to determine school champs. Regional contests will be held in mid-February with state championship finals likely to be held on Sat., March 13, 2010 in Madison. The state champion will receive $200 and an all-expenses paid trip for two to Washington, DC, for the April 26-28 national contest which offers over $50,000 worth of scholarships.  The winner’s schools will also receive monies for their libraries to buy poetry books. This contest is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Sign your school up for Poetry Out Loud soon and receive free instructional materials.    Sign up with  and ask questions of Jacki Martindale at elumn8@charter.net or 3112 Prospect Dr. , Sun Prairie, WI. 53590.

Poetry Out Loud is not affiliated with the Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English or the National Council of Teachers of English.