![](https://poetry.arizona.edu/sites/poetry.arizona.edu/files/styles/simplecrop/public/azpol_color_3.png?itok=Rhjh-X5I&sc=8e3c65452c4b578a37982a824799685f)
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 11, 2023 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. Join us in celebrating their hard work and dynamic recitations in-person at the Poetry Center or virtually, through the live stream!
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.