2024 New Jersey State Champion Lucas Wilson at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in May. Photo by James Kegley
The 2024-2025 school year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud®, an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Schools and organizations are encouraged to contact their Poetry Out Loud state coordinator to get involved in this year's competition.
In addition to $50,000 in prizes and stipends awarded annually to competitors and their home communities—including a $20,000 prize for the National Champion—Poetry Out Loud provides free poetry education resources nationally, including lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers and organizers, tips on reciting, and an online anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems.
20 Years of Impact
In 2004, the Poetry Foundation and NEA began developing and piloting a first-of-its-kind national poetry recitation program for high school students; Poetry Out Loud launched at the start of the following school year in 2005. Since then, the program has reached more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools across the nation.
“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud, we honor the program's lasting impact on students. Through the power of words and performance, young people are developing public speaking skills and self-confidence, the ability to connect with peers and leaders and an appreciation for diverse perspectives and interpretations of the world around us. These are skills that will serve them well in any career or endeavor they may choose to pursue,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We extend our gratitude to our partners at the Poetry Foundation and the stewards of this program—the students, educators, parents, and our state coordinators—and look forward to working together through many more years of Poetry Out Loud.”
A study completed in 2020 found that participation in Poetry Out Loud can help schools become more vibrant learning spaces and support students in their academic, literary, and social-emotional development.
“I want to underscore how special Poetry Out Loud is as a platform for expression and learning for our nation's youth," said Michelle T. Boone, Poetry Foundation president and CEO. “Participants go beyond developing an appreciation for poetry—they discover how it can be a powerful tool for building compassion and empathy, self-reflection, and finding meaning in the world. Each time I attend a recitation, I learn more about what is important to this generation and come away with a new understanding of familiar poems as presented through their voices. I eagerly look forward to another 20 years of Poetry Out Loud.”
How to Participate
Poetry Out Loud starts at the local level in a classroom, school, or an area organization or school. Students memorize and recite poems they select from the Poetry Out Loud anthology of classic and contemporary poems. Winners then may advance to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals.
To register for the 2024-2025 program, schools and organizations should contact their state arts agency. Students from all types of high schools are welcome to participate, including public, private, parochial, independent, charter, and homeschool. Non-school organizations, such as after school clubs, libraries, or nonprofit organizations, may choose to run Poetry Out Loud as well. Students unable to participate at their school or a local organization should contact their state Poetry Out Loud coordinator to discuss other opportunities for inclusion in their state’s official competition.
The 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Finals will take place May 5-7, 2025, in Washington, DC. A total of $50,000 in awards and school or organizational stipends will be awarded, including $20,000 for the National Champion, and $10,000 and $5,000 for the second- and third-place finalists. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded for Poetry Out Loud. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals are administered by Mid Atlantic Arts.
Join the 20th anniversary celebration on X (Twitter) and Instagram using #POL2025, #POL20Years, and #IAmPoetryOutLoud and follow the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation at @PoetryOutLoud, @NEAArts, and @PoetryFound.
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.
The Poetry Foundation recognizes the power of words to transform lives. The Foundation works to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry.
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