MAINE’S 2016 POETRY OUT LOUD CHAMPION ROSE HOROWITZ of Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham, who also took first place nationally in a new opportunity for the finalists to showcase their original poetry through an optional competition called Poetry Ourselves, is shown here with National Endowment for the Arts chair Jane Chu at the competition finals in Washington, D.C.
The Maine Arts Commission has announced that online registration is now open for all Maine high schools to participate in Poetry Out Loud 2016-2017, a national competition organized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and administered at the state level by the Arts Commission. The deadline for registration is Nov. 7.
The Poetry Out Loud state champion earns $200 and an all-expenses paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national finals. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The first runner-up will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The National Endowment for the Arts will award $50,000 total in cash and school stipends at the national finals, with a $20,000 award for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Poetry Out Loud begins at the local level, and can take place in schools anytime between now and January 9, 2017 as the program does not require full class periods and can be completed in just two to three weeks. Nearly 10,000 Maine students and 220 teachers from 45 high schools across the state participated in Poetry Out Loud in 2015-2016, mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence, and learning about their literary heritage. The program encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Since Poetry Out Loud began, millions of students at more than 7,300 schools nationwide have been involved. Starting at the classroom level, teachers are provided with free multimedia curriculum materials — a Learning Recitation audio guide, a teacher’s guide, posters and comprehensive website, poetryoutloud.org.
“Poetry Out Loud is one of many examples of high-quality, partnership-based programs that the NEA offers to schools and communities across the country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “By helping students foster creative thinking skills and inspire self-expression, we are laying a foundation for lifelong learning in the arts.”
Additional information on Poetry Out Loud is available at mainearts.maine.gov, or by contacting Argy Nestor, Maine Arts Commission Director of Arts Education at argy.nestor@maine.gov or (207) 287-2713.
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