POETRY OUT LOUD
Welcome to Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.
Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the
Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in
partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states and
the District of Columbia.
By encouraging high school students to memorize and
perform great poems, Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic
aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the
English class. This exciting new program, which began in
2005, helps students master public speaking skills, build
self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry.
There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art
form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the
immense popularity of hip-hop music. Poetry Out Loud
builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of
slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English
class.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry
Foundation have partnered with Arts Agencies in each state
to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, which
encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry
through memorization and performance. This exciting
program helps students master public speaking skills, build
self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
CONTEST STRUCTURE AND AWARDS
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that begins at the
classroom level. Winners will advance to the school-wide
competition, then to the state competition, and ultimately to
the National Finals.
More information about POL and the contest's structure can
be found at www.poetryoutloud.org.
Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an allexpenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the
national championship. The state winner's school will receive
a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. A runnerup in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her
school library. A total of $50,000 in scholarships and school
stipends at the National Finals will be awarded to the
winners.
PROGRAM MATERIALS AND SCHEDULE
Poetry Out Loud curriculum materials include print and
online poetry anthologies, a teachers guide to help
instructors teach recitation and performance, an audio CD
featuring distinguished actors and writers, promotional and
media guides, and a comprehensive Website. Hard copies of
all materials are free for schools participating in the official
program. All curriculum materials are also available for
download on the Poetry Out Loud Website. Schools not
involved in the official contest are welcome to use the online
materials. While teachers, students, and poetry lovers
everywhere can use this website and its accompanying
educational materials to organize their own recitation
contests, the official contest is limited to the programs run
by each state's Arts Agency.
If you are an educator interested in
participating in the official national poetry
recitation contest …………
Poetry Out Loud
please contact:
Kim Whitt
Arts Education Director
Mississippi Arts Commission
kwhitt@arts.state.ms.us
601-359-6037
Poetry Out Loud materials will be sent to Mississippi high
schools in September 2007, and participating schools will
run the program through early winter. (The program
requires only two or three weeks of class time.) Mississippi
will hold its State Recitation Contest March 14, 2008.
National Finals will be held in Washington, D.C. April 27 and
28, 2008.
REGISTER NOW for the Orientation and Teacher
Training Workshop to be held at New Stage Theater Friday
September 14, 2007 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Simply call
the Mississippi Arts Commission @ 601-359-6030 to
register. Free lunch, travel stipends, and gift bags! PLUS.
resources, strategies and techniques.
REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL for POL TODAY! Fill in the
School Registration Form and fax or mail to:
Kim Whitt
fax #: 601-359-6008
Mississippi Arts Commission
501 North West Street
Woolfolk Building
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
FOR TEACHERS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How can I get my class or school involved in Poetry Out Loud?
Poetry Out Loud is being administered by the official State Arts Agency in each state. Check with the
person from your state listed above to find out if your school is eligible to participate in this year's
program.
We provide all the necessary materials for Poetry Out Loud on the website. If your school is not in a
participating region this year, please feel free to use the online materials to run your own, unofficial
program and contest. www.poetryoutloud.org.
Where will the State Arts Agencies offer Poetry Out Loud?
Statewide in as many high schools as possible. State competition is held in Jackson, Mississippi.
How much do the Poetry Out Loud materials cost?
The materials for Poetry Out Loud are free. You may use the online materials at no cost, and the official
participating schools will receive hardcopy materials from the MAC.
Can students choose poetry outside of the poems in the anthology?
No. This website includes an online anthology of more than 400 poems that will continue to expand. The
students must choose from that selection, or from the hardcopy Poetry Out Loud Anthology that will be
distributed to schools participating in the official contests.
How much time will each teacher spend implementing Poetry Out Loud in his or her classroom?
The official Poetry Out Loud program will be implemented in schools between September 2007 and early
2008. Each teacher might spend two to three weeks on Poetry Out Loud, and the program will not require
full class periods during that time. There are, however, myriad opportunities to expand the program in
your classroom, making Poetry Out Loud part of a larger poetry curriculum.
literary heritage, while teaching them important public speaking skills. Poetry Out Loud is not intended to
replace classroom activities like creative writing; in fact, the two naturally complement each other. For
that reason, we have created a number of optional writing activities and lesson plans for teachers.
How should the contest be organized?
A detailed description for how each school's competition should be organized can be found on the
Organizing Contest Events page of the Teachers Is there a creative writing element to Poetry Out
Loud?
The central objective of the program is to familiarize students with the best of their Guide.
How will the competition be judged?
Official Poetry Out Loud competitions will be evaluated on specific criteria, which can be seen on the
Evaluation Criteria page. Currently, judging criteria is being reviewed and updated. It is suggested that
each competition have an odd number of judges in the case of ties. A separate judge should be evaluating
the accuracy of the recitation in regards to the text of the poem.
Who should be judges?
It is up to each school as to who should judge the competition. In the past, teachers, poets, and dramatic
professionals have been judges in school competitions. Even though the contest is literary in nature, not
all judges have to have a literary background. Community leaders and event sponsors could serve as
judges. Ultimately, the judges should be whomever the competition's organizers deem appropriate.
During a contest, is there a maximum amount of time that a participant should use to recite his
or her poem?
The student should try to keep the maximum time per poem to around three minutes. All poems must be
from the print or expanded online version of the Poetry Out Loud anthology.
Can embellishment, e.g. movement (gestures, walking), be used to deliver the poems, or will
participants be expected to stand and deliver the poems in one place? Can participants add any
kind of sound or musical instruments for effect?
The recitation of poetry, in this context, is different than dramatic acting. Poetry recitation is about the
poem, not the performance. Overacting, exaggerated movements, and odd voices and accents are
generally not accepted. However, depending on the poem, gestures and some movement may be
appropriate. Musical instruments are not permitted.
How long should the contest events run?
A contest event should take less than two hours. There are instructions and recommendations in the
Teachers Guide on organizing the contest events, depending on the number of participants.
If students with disabilities wish to participate in the contest, can any accommodations be
made for judging them?
Yes, detailed guidelines on how students with disabilities can participate can be found on the Students
with Disabilities page.
What are the prize amounts at the state and national levels?
The following prizes are offered for the official contests identified and conducted by the National
Endowment for the Arts and the government State Arts Agencies during winter and spring of 2008. The
prizes do not apply to other contests:
As long as your school and district allows students to receive cash prizes, each winner at the state level
will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete in the National Finals. The
state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. A runner-up in each
state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. Some states may offer additional prizes.
We will be awarding $50,000 total in scholarship prizes and school stipends at the National Finals, with a
$20,000 scholarship prize for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
POETRY OUT LOUD
NATIONAL
HIGH SCHOOL
POETRY RECITATION CONTEST
SCHOOL REGISTRATION FORM
2007 – 2008
SCHOOL:____________________________________
ADDRESS:________________________________________
CITY:____________________________________________
COUNTY:_________________________________________
SCHOOL DISTRICT:________________________________
SUPERINTENDENT:_________________________________
PRINCIPAL:_______________________________________
LEAD TEACHER FOR POETRY OUT LOUD:
NAME:_______________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS:______________________________
PHONE NUMBERS:_____________________________
MAIL COMPLETED FORM TO:
KIM WHITT
ARTS EDUCATION DIRECTOR
MISSISSIPPI ARTS COMMISSION
501 NORTH WEST STREET
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI 39201
601-359-6037
KWHITT@ARTS.STATE.MS.US
Poetry Out Loud
Teacher Training Workshop
FUN….
INFORMATIVE….
FREE….
LUNCH PROVIDED….
DATE: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2007
TIME:
9 A.M. – 2 P.M.
LOCATION:
NEW STAGE THEATRE
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Register now for this exciting program to include the power
of the spoken word into your school. Poetry Out Loud is a
national poetry recitation contest that begins in the
classroom curriculum and could find you and your student at
the National Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest in
Washington, D.C.!
This training will include modeling of professional recitation
and criteria, teacher guides and resources, classroom
exercises and implementation strategies, and how to plan
your school recitation competition.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER CONTACT:
Kim Whitt
Arts Education Director
Mississippi Arts Commission
kwhitt@arts.state.ms.us
601-359-6037