Central Ohio Schools Selected To Compete in April 29 Poetry Out Loud Event
by Jami Goldstein
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation present Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council, the Thurber House and Ohioana Library Association. Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. Schools in the Central Ohio region have been selected to participate in a pilot program of classroom and schoolwide contests, advancing to state competitions. State champions will advance to the national finals in May 2006, in Washington, D.C.
Twelve high schools from Central Ohio have been selected to take part in this year’s event. Participating schools include: in Columbus, Arts & College Preparatory Academy, Beechcroft High School, Bishop Hartley High School, Columbus Alternative High School, Columbus Africentric Secondary School, Eastmoor Academy and Whetstone High School; Fairbanks High School,Milford Center; Granville High School, Granville; Mt. Gilead High School, Mt. Gilead; Thomas Worthington High School, Worthington; and Westland High School, Galloway.
Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry recitation and performance. The program builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among youth. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theater into the English class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. One runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. Poetry Out Loud will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends at the National Finals, with at least a $20,000 college scholarship for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
The NEA and the Poetry Foundation have each contributed $500,000 towards the 2006 Poetry Out Loud program in support of materials, grants, prizes and the National Finals in May. Ohio will receive approximately $8,000 from this budget, with matching funds provided by the Ohio Arts Council.
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, has embarked on an ambitious plan to bring the best poetry before the largest possible audience. This year, the Foundation has launched a major new poetry Web site and sponsor an unprecedented study to understand poetry’s place in American culture. Founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912, Poetry is the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-speaking world. Harriet Monroe’s “Open Door” policy, set forth in Volume I of the magazine, remains the most succinct statement of Poetry’s mission: to print the best poetry written today, in whatever style, genre or approach.
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established – bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities and military bases.
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.
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