Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program and poetry recitation competition that brings poetry to life through performance. High School students explore classic and contemporary poems while building confidence, strengthening public speaking skills, and deepening their understanding of literature.

A program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with participating state and jurisdictional art agencies, Poetry Out Loud reaches students across the nation and US territories. The University of Arizona Poetry Center is proud to serve as the administrative home of Arizona's statewide Poetry Out Loud program. 

 

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Register for 2027 Poetry Out Loud 

Teachers and educators who would like to participate register on behalf of their school or organization, with one registration per participating site. Registered schools receive access to free curriculum resources, including the national poetry anthology, the Digital Guide for Teachers and Organizers, poetry books, and the national Poetry Out Loud website.

Students compete in classroom and schoolwide competitions, with school champions advancing to regional competitions. At each stage, students compete for the opportunity to qualify for the next level—from regional to state, and from state to the national competition.

Registration for the 2027 Arizona Poetry Out Loud season is now open.

REGISTER Now!

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2026-2027 Timeline and Important Dates 

August 31, 2026 – School Registration Opens
September 1, 2026 – Digital Guide for Teachers and Organizers and Poetry Out Loud Anthology available online
October 17, 2026 – Information Session for New and Returning Educators, Turn a New Page: Get Ready for Poetry Out Loud 2027! 
October 31, 2026 – School Registration Closes
January 2027 – Classroom/Schoolwide Contests
February 2027 – Regional Competition Schedule

 

	Northern Region	Central Region	Southern Region
Semifinals  Event	February 2027	February 2027	February 2027
Event Location/Time	Northern Arizona University/TBD	Arizona State University/TBD	University of Arizona /TBD

March 2027 – Arizona POL State Finals Competition in Flagstaff, Arizona  

Invitation	Arizona POL State Finals
Event Location/Time	TBD
Live Stream	TBD

April 26-28, 2027 –  POL National Semifinals and Finals in Washington, DC 

Invitation	POL National Semifinals
Event Date/Time	TBD
Event Location	Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University
Livestream	TBD

Invitation	POL National Finals
Event Date/Time	TBD
Event Location	Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University
Livestream	TBD

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Regional Partners

Arizona Poetry Out Loud Regional Partners are organizations with strong ties to their local literary and school communities, and are dedicated to creating opportunities for increased student and school involvement in the Poetry Out Loud program.

Central Region Partner

Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing 
Iliana Garcia 
Iliana.Garcia.1@asu.edu

K'Ehleyr McNulty
KEhleyr.McNulty@asu.edu

Northern Region Partner

Northern Arizona University
Andrea Lenhart
Andie.Lenhart@nau.edu

Southern Region Partner

University of Arizona Poetry Center
Taylor Johnson
tmj@arizona.edu

If you are unsure about your school’s region, or would like more information, please contact the University of Arizona Poetry Center at pceducation@arizona.edu. 

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Videos from 2026 Poetry Out Loud