Arts in Education - Poetry Out Loud - Background

Recitation and performance are major trends in poetry. There has been a resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the popularity of hip-hop. Poetry Out Loud builds on this momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English class. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation have
partnered with state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

Contest Structure and Prizes

Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the classroom level. Winners advance from classroom competitions to a school-wide competition, then to a regional competition, then to 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 D.C. 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. Additionally, a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded to the
winners at the National Finals.

Program Materials and Schedule

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 approximately 500 poems
• Hardcopy anthologies of approximately 130 poems
• An Audio CD of distinguished actors and writers reciting and talking about poetry

The program generally takes two to three weeks of class time.