Competition
Poetry Out Loud
National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation and state/jurisdictional arts agencies
Recognition
National Finals distribute $50,000 total annually in awards and school/organizational stipends; National Champion receives $20,000; each state/jurisdiction champion receives $200 plus an all-expenses-paid trip (with adult chaperone) to the National Finals in Washington, DC, and their school/organization receives an additional $500 stipend.
Deadline
Mar 7, 2027
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students, run by the National Endowment for the Arts with participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies, designed to build public speaking skills, confidence, and knowledge of literary history. Students advance through classroom/school, regional/state, and national levels, culminating in the National Finals in Washington, DC.
Eligibility
- Grade levels
- High school
- Fields of study
- Arts, Literature
Application requirements
- Contact your state's Poetry Out Loud coordinator to sign up your school or organization as an official participant: Participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies recruit high schools to take part in the official program; schools/organizations must register with their state coordinator before running a competition.
- Organize a classroom or school-level competition: Identify 1-2 lead organizers/coordinators and staff needed roles (emcee, judges, prompter, score tabulator); competitions can be held in-person or virtually.
- Students select and recite poems from the official Poetry Out Loud online anthology: Poems must be chosen from the 'Poetry Out Loud America 250 Online Anthology' provided on the official site.
- Winners advance from school level to regional/state competition, then to the National Finals: Students cannot advance to state finals without first competing at a lower (school/local) level. State finals must be completed by the State Contest Deadline.
- State/jurisdiction champions and their chaperone must complete registration for National Finals: State Champion and Chaperone Registration Deadline is Wednesday, March 10, 2027, ahead of National Finals Events (April 26-28, 2027) in Washington, DC.
Verified Jul 8, 2026 · View official source