Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high schools across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies. 

WHO:
Poetry Out Loud is open to all high school students. 

Each winner at the state level receives at least $200 and the chance to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school/organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state receives at least $100, with $200 for their school. At the national finals, a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually. Learn more about Poetry Out Loud here: https://www.poetryoutloud.org.

HOW:
During the 2022-23 school year, there will be three avenues for students to compete, two levels of competition, and a recorded webinar in November covering the competition's structure, timeline, and supplemental/coaching programming.

Registration Options:
1. Host School: A teacher completes this registration form with the intent to host a classroom and school competition with a body of students. The top two students from that competition submit recitation videos for the Regional competition level.

2. Host Organization: An organization staff member completes this registration form with the intent to host a community level competition with a body of students. The top two students from that competition submit recitation videos for the Regional competition level.

2. Independent Student: A student completes this registration form with the intent to submit recitation videos for the Regional competition level.

Registration Deadline:
Registration closes Tuesday, November 15, at 11:59PM. After you complete your registration form you will receive further information about how to submit poetry recitation videos for the regional competition.

COMPETITION LEVELS: 

For the Regional competition hosted in the winter, registered students will electronically submit videos reciting three poems from the POL Anthology for judges' online review.

State
For the State competition hosted in March 2023, the top students from each region will be invited to attend a live event where they will recite three poems from the POL Anthology for a panel of judges. 


OTHER:
Please note Poetry Out Loud is not a creative writing competition and that Maryland is not sponsoring the original works competition, Poetry Ourselves, in 2022-2023. Find poems to recite in the digital POL Anthology: https://www.poetryoutloud.org/search/?type=poem.