Ohio Schools Selected to Compete in Poetry Out Loud Event
by Kathy Burgan

Thirteen high schools from Ohio have been selected to take part in the 2007 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry recitation and performance.

Ohio’s state competition is scheduled for Saturday, March 10, 2007 beginning at 1 p.m. followed by a reception for contestants and their families and friends at the Southern Theatre in downtown Columbus.

Participating schools include Amanda - Clearcreek High School, Amanda; Logan Elm High School, Circleville; Columbus Alternative High School, FCI Academy, Focus Learning Academy, and Bishop Hartley High School, Columbus; Westland High School, Galloway; Granville High School, Granville; Olentangy High School, Lewis Center; Logan Hocking Schools, Logan; Mt. Gilead High School, Mt. Gilead; Woodward High School, Toledo; and Westfall High School, Williamsport.

The winner at the state level will receive $300 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. A runner-up will receive $200, with $200 for his or her school library. Additionally, a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends will be awarded to the winners at the National Finals.

Poetry Out Loud 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.

After successful pilot programs in Washington, DC and Chicago, the second year of Poetry Out Loud was launched in high schools across America in the winter and spring of 2006 with tens of thousands of students participating. Ohio high school student Jackson Hille won the inaugural National Finals on May 16, 2006.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation are presenting Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, in partnership with the Ohio Arts Council, the Thurber House and Ohioana Library Association. Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

The NEA and the Poetry Foundation have each contributed $500,000 towards the 2007 Poetry Out Loud program in support of materials, grants, prizes and the National Finals in May. Ohio will receive approximately $10,000 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.

[top]