About
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, in collaboration with state arts agencies, proudly present Poetry Out Loud (POL) across all 50 states, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In POL, high school students select, memorize, and recite poems from an approved anthology, honing their interpretation, public speaking, and performance skills in a competitive setting. Winners at the regional, state, and national levels are awarded cash prizes, and state champions receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the opportunity to compete for the national title.
POL is completely free and can be easily adopted by schools, cultural institutions such as libraries or community theaters, or individual teachers and artists. We invite both new and returning students to join us for Poetry Out Loud.
How to Host a Competition
Coaching the students: Over the course of a few weeks, you will help students explore the official POL anthology of poems and select 1-3 that they can memorize and recite. Students will want to find poems that they can relate to. The role of the ‘coach’ in this program is to help students recite the poems in a way that conveys the poet’s meaning. They are not ‘acting’ as a character or narrator of the poem. They are reciting the poem to convey the tone and meaning of the poem. Is it a poem about losing a loved one? Is it a sarcastic poem? Is it fierce and fiery? The way the student recites should convey these underlining feelings without being over the top.
Organizing a local competition: At the start of the POL process, you will select a date that will be the competition event. The competition organizer will recruit 3-4 judges plus an accuracy judge, help the judges learn the criteria, and prepare the judging score sheets for the competition day. A full guide to competition organizing is available in the teacher’s guide.
Want to learn more? Reach out to request a meeting with state coordinator, Quaja Bell.
Timeline
October-December 2025
- Recruit participants, Explore the Anthology, Rehearse Poems, and Conduct Local Competitions. School/local competitions should be conducted before winter break.
- Contact the regional coordinator to express your intent to participate in the regional competition. Find your regional coordinator here.
January 2026
Regional competitions conducted. Dates TBA. Contact your regional coordinator for more information.
February 26, 2026 State finals at BREC Independence Park Theater in Baton Rouge, LA
April 27-29, 2026 National finals in Washington, D.C.
Resources
Teacher/Organizer Guide
Poetry Out Loud Anthology
Resources for Organizing a Contest
Judges’ Guide
Logos and Graphics
