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, 2024 from 1-4pm, high school students from Southern Arizona will perform and compete for a chance to represent their school and home town at the State Finals in March. Join us in celebrating their hard work and dynamic recitations 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.