Poetry Out Loud is a national 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 — a poem that speaks to them personally — from an online anthology of over 1,100 poems. They work to memorize the poem and craft a unique performance, making the poem their own — making the written word come alive. 

On Saturday, February 15, 2025 from 1—4pm, high school students from around Southern Arizona will perform and compete for a chance to represent their school at the State Finals competition in March.

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