Poetry Out Loud Scholarship Contest

High school students in all 50 states, DC, and U.S. jurisdictions. Compete through school, then state, then national recitation contests. Poems selected from Poetry Out Loud anthology. Improves public speaking and literary knowledge.

1. Register via school/organization with your state arts agency.
2. Compete in classroom/school competitions.
3. Advance to state finals (by mid-March).
4. State champions compete at National Finals in Washington, DC.

• School/state competition registration
• Memorized poems from POL anthology
• Recitation performances judged on accuracy, voice/articulation, physical presence, understanding, overall performance

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Criteria Grade Level: Only currently enrolled students in grades 9-12 are eligible, with an exception made for 8th-grade students participating in a 9th- through 12th-grade class. State Finals: A student may not advance to the state finals without competing in a lower-level competition. Legal Participation Requirements: No student may be excluded from participating in Poetry Out Loud on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin. Schools may determine eligibility for classroom and school level Poetry Out Loud programming pursuant to local and state law.

2026 National Champion Jayda Dawn (IN); 2nd Damien Deen (SD); 3rd Jaden Conley (IL); prior champions include state winners from all jurisdictions