Poetry Out Loud
The Nebraska Arts Council is pleased to announce that Russell Heitmann, a senior from Thayer Central High School in Thayer, NE was one of the top nine finalists at the 2013 Poetry Out Loud finals in Washington, D.C.. Russell attended the competition with his family and Nebraska Arts Council coordinator, Anne Alston. Read more...
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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 teachers’ guide, DVD, 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. All Nebraska high schools are welcome to participate in Poetry Out Loud.
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.
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.
2013 Nebraska State Finalists (Photo: Star City Photography)
