Honolulu Theatre for Youth and the Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Launch 2023 Poetry Out Loud Competition

Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) and the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) invite high school students throughout Hawai’i to participate in Poetry Out Loud®. This national arts education program from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students. This program helps students master public speaking skills and build self-confidence, while also learning more about both classic and contemporary poetry.

“Through Poetry Out Loud, students discover great poetry while also learning about themselves, world history, contemporary life and the power of words. Through their participation in the program, they have the opportunity to build important public speaking skills, increase self-confidence, and build appreciation for different world views and styles of expression,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are grateful for the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and Honolulu Theatre for Youth for making this opportunity available to students throughout Hawaiʻi .” 

Now through early January 2023, schools are invited to hold classroom and school wide contests, with students advancing to a state competition on Sunday, February 24, 2024 at Tenney Theatre in downtown Honolulu. Non-school organizations, such as after school clubs, libraries, or nonprofit organizations, may also choose to run Poetry Out Loud contests. HTY will also offer a video submission contest for interested students whose school or organization is not participating. Students may only compete in one stream—either with their school, an organization, or as an individual student. As part of Poetry Out Loud, the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation also offers free, standards-based curriculum materials—all available online— which teachers may choose to use in their classrooms. These include an online poetry anthology containing more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems, a teacher’s guide, lesson plans, posters, and videos on the art of poetry recitation. These materials are all free to access at PoetryOutLoud.org. 

State champions will advance to the national finals, which are planned to take place in Washington, DC, April 30–May 2, 2024, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. 

Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.3 million students across the country have participated in Poetry Out Loud. Hawai’i began participating in 2006 and over the years more than 50 different public, charter, and private schools and homeschool networks have participated representing Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Hawaii Island. 

“Poetry Out Loud is one of my favorite events of the year, as it provides a platform and experiences for young people to not only learn about, but activate poetry, “ said Karen Ewald, SFCA Interim Executive Director. “As we continue with our second year with Hawaiʻi's Poet Laureate, Poetry Out Loud invites high school students and teachers to engage in the state wide celebration of poetry.” 

How to get involved in Poetry Out Loud 

High schools and organizations that wish to be part of the official Poetry Out Loud program must contact Honolulu Theatre for Youth by Dec 21, 2023 to participate. Honolulu Theatre for Youth will work with interested schools and organizations to include them in the official Poetry Out Loud program. Schools and organizations that are not in the official program may conduct their own contests using the online resources. Contact Tamara Smith with Honolulu Theatre for Youth at edadmin@htyweb.org or visit PoetryOutLoud.org for more information.   

Poetry Out Loud Awards 

Each state champion will receive $200 and will advance to the national championship, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed, including a $20,000 award for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion. The state champion’s representing school or organization will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for their school/organization. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded and travel arrangements for the Poetry Out Loud National Finals. For further information on Poetry Out Loud, visit PoetryOutLoud.org.