Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program and poetry recitation competition for high school students beginning in the classroom and culminating in the National Finals in Washington, D.C., where over $50,000 is awarded in scholarships and school stipends. 

Participants of Poetry Out Loud select a poem — one that speaks to them personally — from an online anthology of over 1,200 poems. They work to memorize the poem and craft a unique performance, making the poem their own and bringing the written word to life. 

On Saturday, February 17, high school students from Southern, Central, and Northern Arizona will perform and compete for a chance to represent their school and hometown at the State Finals in March. Join us in celebrating the hard work and dynamic recitations of the Southern Region semifinals either in-person at the Poetry Center or virtually, through the live stream! Click here for more information. 

Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the Poetry Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the University of Arizona Poetry Center.