(Sept. 4, 2008) — High school English and Theatre Arts teachers across North Carolina have until Friday, Sept. 26 to register for the statewide Poetry Out Loud recitation contest, coordinated by the North Carolina Arts Council.
An initiative funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and coordinated by state arts councils across the country, Poetry Out Loud is educational, fun and provides students the opportunity to win scholarships and prizes for their schools.
“Poetry Out Loud emerged from the popularity of performance art and recitation, such as slam poetry. How exciting for high school students across the country and North Carolina to have the opportunity to combine theatrics and the spoken word,” said Linda Bamford, Arts in Education Director for the Arts Council.
Poetry Out Loud encourages students to memorize and recite poetry while mastering public speaking skills, building self-confidence and learning about literary heritage. Last year Poetry Out Loud reached more than 36 school districts with more than 2,000 high school students participating at various stages of the program.
The Endowment provides teachers with free multimedia curriculum materials—a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters and a comprehensive Web site, www.poetryoutloud.org, all aligned to national standards and intended to augment the schools’ regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a school-level competition.
The contest starts at the classroom level and proceeds to the school and district levels. Coordinators at both the school and district levels may include English teachers, Theater Arts teachers, school counselors, administrators, parents, PTA/PTO organizations and volunteers.
Winners from the district level advance to semi-final and final state level competitions. Winners at the state level receive $200 and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the national championship. The national contest is scheduled for April 26-28, 2009.
State winners’ schools also receive a $500 stipend to be used for purchasing poetry books. Runners-up at the state level receive $100, with their school receiving a $200 purchase stipend. The NEA plans to award more than $50,000 in scholarships and stipends at the national finals for winners and their schools.
High schools interested in participating should visit the Arts Council Poetry Out Loud Web site at www.ncarts.org/poetryoutloud for more information. Participating English and Theatre Arts teachers should register online by Friday, September 26.
The mission of the North Carolina Arts Council is to make North Carolina a better state through the arts. The Arts Council is a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, www.ncculture.com, and celebrates those who create and enjoy art in all 100 counties. For more information, visit www.ncarts.org.