Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national poetry recitation contest for high school students sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

Poetry Out Loud starts with a competition at the local level. One winner from every participating school district or community group advances to their regional contest. That winner proceeds to the Pennsylvania State Competition in Harrisburg, and, with practice and luck, winners of the State Competition go on to the National Finals in Washington D.C. Read more about the national competition and watch student performances at poetryoutloud.org

Erie Arts & Culture coordinates the northwest Pennsylvania regional competition. High schools, homeschoolers, and community organizations from Erie, Crawford, Warren, Mercer, Venango and Lawrence counties are invited to participate at no charge and compete for prizes and opportunities for travel and networking with peers from near and far.

How can teachers and students get involved?

  • Each year Poetry Out Loud produces a teacher guide that includes a program overview, ideas for how to incorporate the program into existing curriculum, and additional resources. You can access a PDF version of the teacher guide at poetryoutloud.org, or contact Erie Arts & Culture at (814) 452-3427 or [email protected] to request a hard copy be mailed to you.
  • Schools or organizations wanting to participate in the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Competition, which is held annually in February, must register with Erie Arts & Culture. Download a registration form here.
POL

Erie Arts & Culture

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