Welcome to Poetry Out Loud!
The words of great poets literally come to life in Poetry Out Loud, a literary arts program created by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation. The Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA) supports students across the Commonwealth enriched by this arts education program that encourages memorization, performance, and public speaking skills. Since 2005, nearly 4.7 million students have participated in the program and committed at least one poem to memory. In Virginia, approximately 101,000 students have participated since the program’s inception.
REGISTRATION
Registration is now closed.
Poetry Out Loud Competition Calendar
| EVENT | DATE | LINKS |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Video Recitations | Monday, January 9, 2023 | Links provided to participating students |
| Virtual Semifinal Competition | Saturday, February 4, 2023 | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm |
| Virtual Semifinal Competition | Saturday, February 4, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
| Virtual Semifinal Competition | Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm |
| Virtual Semifinal Competition | Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm |
| Poetry Out Loud State Finals | Friday, March 10, 2023 | VPM Studios 23 Sesame Street Richmond, VA 23235 |
| Poetry Out Loud National Finals | May 8-10, 2023 | Washington, DC |
RESOURCES
Poetry Out Loud “How To” Video Guides
The Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, created a two-part Poetry Out Loud “How To” Guide for poetry memorization. This is a resource for students, teachers, and organizations who are interested in participating in the Poetry Out Loud program:
- The “How To” Guide Part 1 provides scaffolding techniques to demystify the memorization process with accessible hands-on activities to empower the voices of youth.
- The “How To” Guide Part 2 provides insight in the memorization, selection, and performance of two poems from the Poetry Out Loud anthology.
Tutorial Series: Recording Recitations for Virtual Competitions
- Part 1—Recording the Image (5:11)
- Part 2—Recording Audio (2:42)
- Part 3—Uploading Recitations to Dropbox (2:25)
Visit the VCA’s YouTube Channel to access videos.
General Resources
- Organizations 2022-2023
- Virginia Poetry Out Loud Program Overview 2022-2023
- POL Mobile App—Apple
- POL Mobil App–Android
Teachers and Students Resources
- Video Tip Sheet (for virtual competitions)
- Integrity Statement for Student Competitors 2022-2023
- POL Teacher’s Guide 2021-2022
- Master POL Anthology 2021-2022
- Findings from a National POL Study
Competition Resources
- POL Judge’s Guide
- POL Competition Tally Sheet
- Digital Evaluation for Performance Judges
- Digital Evaluation for Accuracy Judge
- Digital Score Sheet Instructions
Prior Poetry Out Loud recordings can be accessed on the Virginia Commission for the Arts YouTube Channel.
AWARDS
Each winner at the state level receives a $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school receives a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The first runner-up receives $100 with $200 for his/her school library.
The 2023 competition took place Friday, March 10, 2023, at VPM, Virginia’s home for Public Media, where Miss Bogusz competed along with eleven other students from across the Commonwealth.
Student competitors included:
- Aayra Rajashekara | Virginia Beach | Catholic High School
- Molly Ridgley | Winchester | Independent School of Winchester
- Maia Zasler | Richmond | Collegiate High School
- Daniela Vitello | Purcellville | Woodgrove High School
- Anna Mohanty | Arlington | Washington Liberty High School
- Mallory Phillips | Richmond | Maggie Walker Governor’s School
- Cambelle Laskodi | Haymarket | Battlefield High School
- Natalia Chapel | Norfolk | Norfolk Collegiate
- Anthony Hernandez | Petersburg | Appomattox Regional Governor’s School
- Madeleine Munday | Bridgewater | Blue Ridge Christian School
- Kathryn Price | Richmond | St. Catherine’s School
VPM will broadcast Virginia’s Poetry Out Loud competition on Sunday, April 30 at 4:00 p.m. on VPM PBS, with a repeat on Monday, May 1 at 8:00 p.m. on VPM PBS Plus.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Virginia Commission for the Arts supports the Poetry Out Loud program fostering the next generation of literary readers through recitation and performance.
CONTACT
For program-related questions contact
Jessica Pedersen
Poetry Out Loud Coordinator
Virginia Commission for the Arts
804.225.3132
jessica.pedersen@vca.virginia.gov