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Poetry Out Loud is a national teen recitation competition for Colorado students grades 9-12

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View fullsize Join us May 1-2, 2024, to find out who will recite their way to becoming the 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion and winning $20,000! Both days are free and open to the public, and a one-time-only webcast will be available at arts.gov. More detail
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Let’s Get Started!

  • Teachers: 

    • School Registrations
      Registration Opens Aug 15, 2024 - Jan 10, 2025


    Students (Based on Criteria) 

    • Individual Student Registrations
      Registration Opens  Aug 15, 2024 - Jan 10, 2025


    REGISTER HERE

  • Have students browse the poems.

    • PoetryOutLoud.org has an online anthology of more than 1,200 poems. Allow time for the students to explore the selections.

    • Students may choose to browse by poem, poet, or thematic collection.

  • Have students select poems to memorize.

    • Allow students to choose poems that resonate with them. This will help them recite these poems effectively. 

    • Memorizing the poems, helps students internalize the author’s message, feelings, language & ideas. 

    • Discuss the poems. Understanding the text is the most important preparation for reciting poetry. 

    • Recite it. Practice reciting your poem for family and friends. 

  • Model recitation skills.

    • Recite poems yourself & study other student performances. 

    • Develop a list of bad habits that take away from the performance:  projection, speaking too fast or too slow, monotone voice, fidgeting, excessive body language, and mispronunciations.

    • Develop a list of successful recitation elements: projection, good pacing with pauses, voice inflection, evidence of understanding, correct pronunciation, and composure.

    • For practice, play portions of the audio and the video examples at PoetryOutLoud.org or YouTube channel and lastly record and study yourself!

  • Include creative writing exercises and write your own poetry.

    • Creative writing is a natural complement to Poetry Out Loud.

    • There are a number of optional writing exercises and lesson plans at PoetryOutLoud.org

Explore the Anthology

2024 Colorado State Champion Rize Simmons

State champions join the National Competition in Washington, D.C. where they get to meet other passionate students, explore the city, and have the opportunity to win $50,000.

Rize Simmons recites “Songs for the People” by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Poetry Out Loud Program Registration

School Registrations

Registration Opens
August 15, 2024 - January 10, 2025

Poetry Out Loud is open to any school in Colorado serving grades 9-12.

  • Participating schools are encouraged to identify 2-3 teachers with one POL program coordinator to manage school finals, or act as the single point of contact for the school’s POL teachers. Exceptions may be made- Please contact us with questions.

  • Registered schools will work with a state coordinator to receive information about the Poetry Out Loud program, curriculum, and local and state competitions.  

  • All students are eligible for participation and advancement in this program.

🗓️ DEADLINES

  • Registration deadline is January 10, 2025 

  • Local/State Competitions must be registered to Empowered by: January 15, 2025 

  • Local/School Competitions must be completed by:
    January 31, 2025

  • Local/School Competitions will submit winner information to Empowered along with the winner recitation videos for the regional competition by: February 7, 2025

  • Winner announcements (Tentative):  February 10-12, 2025

  • Deadline for competition winners to submit registration for State Finals: February 14, 2025 

  • Poetry Out Loud State Finals: March 16-17, 2025 | Denver Center for Performing Arts  

  • Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC: May 5-7, 2025

    School Registration

Note: Please let students know that they can request accommodations for a disability. Teachers and organizers may refer to the Accessibility page on PoetryOutLoud.org for more information or contact their state coordinator for further assistance.

Individual Student Registrations

Registration Opens
August 15, 2024 - January 10, 2025

Individual students may register for the Colorado Poetry Out Loud Virtual Competition if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • The student is homeschooled in Colorado, or the student attends a high school in Colorado that is not participating or registered in Poetry Out Loud, or the student is a resident of Colorado attending an online, hybrid, or international school.

  • No more than 4 students from an individual school can register for the Poetry Out Loud Virtual competition.  Otherwise, they must register as a school. 

  • Students participating in the Poetry Out Loud Virtual competition will need access to a computer and reliable internet.

  • Poetry Out Loud Individual Students will participate in their own virtual competition. The champion will go on to represent the Poetry Out Loud Virtual competition at the in-person State Final in March 2025.

🗓️ DEADLINES

  • Registration deadline is January 10, 2025
    Note: Every individual registered must participate in the contest. 

  • Contest date-- this is the date your video submissions are due: January 31, 2025

  • Please submit your performance by the date listed. Videos will be reviewed and evaluated by February 10-12, 2025 and winners announced

  • Winner announcements (Tentative):  February 10-12, 2025

  • Deadline for competition winners to submit registration for State Finals: February 14, 2025

  • Poetry Out Loud State Finals: March 16-17, 2025 | Denver Center for Performing Arts  

  • Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC: May 5-7, 2025

    Individual Student Registration

Note: Please let students know that they can request accommodations for a disability. Teachers and organizers may refer to the Accessibility page on PoetryOutLoud.org for more information or contact their state coordinator for further assistance.

Poetry Out Loud State & National Competition and Awards

State-Level

  • The state winner will receive $500 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington, DC to compete for the national championship. 

  • The state winner’s school/organization receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state receives at least $100, with $200 for their school. 

National-Level

  • At the national finals, a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually. 

Poetry Ourselves

  • First and second place winners will receive a trophy and be given the opportunity to perform at the State-level competition

State Champions on stage at the National Poetry Out Loud Competition (Image: NEA).

Explore Videos

Colorado's Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment of the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries, and Empowered Consulting.