The Arizona Commission on the Arts invites Arizona high schools to participate in the 2015-2016 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a free national program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
Poetry Out Loud encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance while mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence and learning about literary heritage.
Participating teachers receive free multimedia curriculum materials—a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters and comprehensive website (www.poetryoutloud.org) all aligned to national standards—augmenting their regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a classroom-level competition.
School-level recitation champions compete to advance to the regional, state and then national levels. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually at the National Finals.
Arizona schools wishing to participate in the 2015-2016 Poetry Out Loud program are invited to visit www.azarts.gov/pol and complete a short online registration form. Online registration will be open until Oct. 30.
