Poetry Out Loud 2009-10 - Arts in Education

Program Schedule and Eligibility

Registration for the 2010 Poetry Out Loud program is now closed. For information email poetry.out.loud@arts.wa.gov or call 360-586-1270.

 

The Poetry Out Loud competition is open to any school in Washington State serving students in grades 9-12. A minimum of 2-3 participating teachers per school is required. The program takes approximately 2-3 weeks of class time and can take place any time between September and January. School wide finals must take place before the end of January. More information on the Washington State program can be found on the Poetry Out Loud Fact Sheet (PDF).

Olivia Seward, 2009 Poetry Out Loud Honorable Mention. Photo by Ross Mulhausen.

Washington State Poetry Out Loud Regions

The Washington State Arts Commission partners with organizations to bring Poetry Out Loud to schools across Washington State. The five regions and our regional coordinators are:

Eastern Washington, Eastern Washington University Press

Central Washington, Allied Arts of Yakima Valley

Southwest Washington, The New Blue Parrot Productions

Puget Sound, Washington State Arts Commission

Northwest Washington, Northwest Educational Service District 189

 

Each registered school will be connected with the closest regional partner. Regional finals will be held in Spokane, Yakima, Vancouver, Tacoma and Mount Vernon in early February. The State Final will take place in early March at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. The National Finals are scheduled for April 25th-27th, 2010. Program registration deadline is November 18th, 2009.

 

“Poetry is a song within itself. It has its own beat, its own rhythm, its own flow.” Antassia Hammond, 2009 Central Washington Regional Final winner

 

Professional Development Workshops

Sara Pittman, 2009 Poetry Out Loud Honorable Mention Photo by Ross Mulhausen.

Professional Development Workshops will be held in each Poetry Out Loud region in order to support teaching poetry in the classroom. The workshops cover: strategies for teaching memorization and recitation; how to run classroom and school-wide competitions; information about Poetry Out Loud and; insights from teachers experienced with the program. Clock hours are available for participating teachers.

 

Program Materials

Teachers participating in Poetry Out Loud have access to a variety of support materials, including:
• A Teacher’s Guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance
• A comprehensive website that includes poetry resources and lesson plans
• An extensive online poetry anthology of over 600 poems
• Hardcopy anthologies of approximately 130 poems
• An Audio CD of distinguished actors and writers reciting and talking about poetry

• "Best Performances," a compilation, on DVD, of national finalists

 

For more information on how your school can participate, please email:
poetry.out.loud@arts.wa.gov or call, 360-586-1270.

 

Visit the Poetry Out Loud national website for additional resources.