Columbus Alternative High School Student Selected to Compete in
National Poetry Out Loud Recitation Contest
by Kathy Burgan

Ohio’s Inaugural Poetry Out Loud state competition was held Saturday, April 29 at the Southern Theatre in downtown Columbus. Columbus Alternative High School student, Jackson Hille was selected as the national representative from Ohio and will advance to the national finals on May 16, 2006, in Washington, D.C. 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 were selected to participate in a pilot program of classroom and school wide contests, advancing to state competitions.

Seven students from Central Ohio participated in the event. Finalists included Emily Astorian from Granville High School, Jackson Hille from Columbus Alternative High School, Lee Horton from Mount Gilead High School, Robert Jones from Eastmoor Academy High School, Jon Lamotte from Bishop Hartley High School, Casey Osman from Westland High School, and Meredith Smith from Thomas Worthington High School. Three final winners were selected. Third place went to Robert Jones from Eastmoor Academy High School and second place went to Meredith Smith from Thomas Worthington High School.

Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council, the Thurber House and Ohioana Library Association.

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 received $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete for the national championship. The state winner’s school received a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. One runner-up in each state received $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. Ohio received approximately $8,000 from this budget, with matching funds provided by the Ohio Arts Council.

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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