TN Poetry Out Loud State Finals will be held March 19

By Dani Brown, Arts Education Special Projects Coordinator –

The Tennessee finals for Poetry Out Loud, the national recitation contest for high school students, will be held at the Nashville Children’s Theatre on March 19. Round one will begin at 10:00 am followed by round two in the afternoon. Ten students will advance to the final round. The state champion will be announced at the end, along with three other finalists, and go on to compete in the national finals in Washington D.C.

The state champion and his/her teacher will receive cash prizes and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. The first runner-up and his/her teacher will receive cash prizes and the school will receive a stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Poetry Out Loud will award a total of $50,000 in cash and school stipends at the National Finals, including a $20,000 award for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.

Poetry Out Loud is presented by The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with the Tennessee Arts Commission. Students learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition as they master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

Please join us in supporting the students as they compete.The competition is free and open to the public. The Nashville Children’s Theatre is located at 25 Middleton Street, Nashville. For a complete schedule, visit the TN Arts Education POL webpage.