Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. Participating students develop public speaking skills. They build self-confidence and learn to connect with literature in new ways, often discovering a new outlet for creative expression.
Poetry Out Loud is supported by The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation. ArtsWA coordinates and manages the program in Washington State.
The 2022 Poetry Out Loud Washington State Final will be held virtually on Saturday, March 12th with a limited invited audience. The event will be released in a fully produced video featuring all nine regional champions. Look for it on ArtsWA’s You Tube channel in the weeks immediately following. This year’s final competition will be hosted by Zinnia Hansen – current Seattle Youth Poet Laureate, and will feature the music of the Kareem Kandi World Orchestra.
While the video is in post-production, we are pleased to share the results of this year’s State Final Competition. Congratulations to all our Student Champions!
You can view a digital program for the 2022 Poetry Out Loud Washington State Final here.
The state champion receives a $200 cash prize and will represent Washington in the National Finals, held virtually this spring. The state champions’ school receives $500 for the purchase of poetry books.
The runner-up in the state competition receives a $100 cash prize. Their school library receives a $200 cash prize.
National Finals champions receive a $25,000 scholarship and school stipends for poetry books. A total of $50,000 in prizes are awarded to the top students.
The 2022 State Final will be released on You Tube in the weeks after the March 12th Competition.
You can view the 2021 State Final broadcast on You Tube.
Most Regional Finals for the 2021-22 school year will be held virtually and will not be open to the general public. Regional Champions from the four regional competitions and POL Virtual will be listed below as they are reported. These nine champions will participate in the Washington State Final on March 12, 2022.
CENTRAL
EASTERN
NORTHWEST
SOUTHWEST
POL VIRTUAL
Washington first piloted Poetry Out Loud in 2005. In that first year, the program included just eight high schools in Thurston County. The program has grown to include over 60 schools from across the state. In the 2019-20 school year, over 18,000 students participated.
Washington has consistently ranked in the top five nationally in student participation. Washington State Champions continue to be strong contenders at the National Poetry Out Loud competition. Langston Ward of Spokane became our first National Champion in 2013.
Teacher-to-Teacher Sessions – No more sessions scheduled for the 2021-22 school year.
Please note: these dates may be subject to adjustment.
2021-2022
All students and schools grades 9-12 may register to participate in the Washington State Poetry Out Loud program. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure. Students advance from classroom competitions to school-wide competitions. School champions progress to the regional competition. Regional champions move on to the state final. Finally, one student from each state advances to the National Finals.
NEW! POL Virtual makes it possible for students who do not attend schools that register for Poetry Out Loud, and homeschooled students, to participate in the program.
If you are a student or teacher wishing to participate, please visit our Register for Poetry Out Loud page for details.
ArtsWA partners with organizations across the state. These partners support school and student participation and regional finals.
Eastern Washington:
Spokane Arts
Central Washington:
Yakima Valley College
Northwest Washington:
Skagit Valley Poetry Foundation
Southwest Washington:
ESD #112
POL Virtual:
Tacoma Little Theatre
ArtsWA also engages teacher leadership in guiding the program, and exploring opportunities for teachers and students to further connect through poetry.
If you have additional questions, contact our Poetry Out Loud coordinator by email.
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