City of San Diego Hosts Countywide Poetry Competition for High School Students

The City of San Diego, in partnership with the National Poetry Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council and Write Out Loud, will host the regional national poetry recitation competition, Poetry Out Loud.

The event will be live streamed on Feb. 8, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Area high school students will compete, and the winner will advance to the State Finals in Sacramento. That winner will then move on to compete for the National Title in Washington, D.C. Finalists from the following San Diego

Schools will be participating in the regional competition:

Bayfront Charter High School, Chula Vista

Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego

Eastlake High School, Chula Vista

Patrick Henry High School, San Diego

Valley Center High School, Valley Center

Judges include Brandon Cesmat, Gina Jackson, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Kerry Meads and Jim Moreno.

Write Out Loud Artistic Director, Veronica Murphy, shared "We are excited to once again provide an opportunity for students to become involved with poetry by learning and reciting favorite poems for the community and their peers. This year we are especially thrilled to be able to give voice to a young Afghani poet as an opening to the San Diego Poetry Out Loud Regional finals."

The event is free and open to the public.