EDUCATION
Poetry Out Loud
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation partner with the Nebraska Arts Council and arts agencies in all fifty states to sponsor Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. Poetry Out Loud builds on the recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as demonstrated by the slam poetry movement among our youth. The program encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about our literary heritage.
Starting at the classroom level, teachers are provided with free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters, and comprehensive website, all aligned to national standards – to augment their regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a classroom-level competition. In Nebraska, free poetry recitation workshops for students are available to many participating schools. These workshops are led by Nebraska Arts Council roster teaching artists who have expertise in poetry and performance.
Each year, school-level recitation champions advance to regional semi-finals. Regional winners then move on to the state competition held in Lincoln. Nebraska's state winner receives a monetary award as well as a free trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national finals.
The 2011/12 Poetry Out Loud season has begun! NAC will continue to accept registrations through the month of November.
For more information about Poetry Out Loud, contact the Nebraska Arts Council at (402) 595-2122/(800) 341-4067, and visit the Poetry Out Loud website to learn more about the national program.
Read about the 2011 competition and state champion
View the Nebraska Poetry Out Loud video, below, to learn more about the program and see highlights of our 2011 competition.
