Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is a national program for high-school students and teachers that seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry – recitation and performance. The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation partner with state arts agencies to bring the Poetry Out Loud program to all 50 states and the US territories. Students compete in the semi-finals before going on to the state and national competitions.