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Participate in the Poetry Out Loud 2021-2022 Program

From Amy Stolls, literary arts director, National Endowment for the Arts –

POL, Poetry Out LoudWhen Amanda Gorman spoke at the inauguration of President Joe Biden, people around the nation were exposed to the power of poetry, and saw how much skill and creativity it takes to bring a poem’s words to life. For more than 15 years, Poetry Out Loud™ has given millions of high school students a similar platform through a national poetry recitation competition.

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is offered in all 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. The program is organized at the local level by schools or organizations, and coordinators have access to a free teacher’s guide and an online anthology of classic and contemporary poetry. With more than 1,100 poems in the anthology, students gain an understanding of the breadth of poetry, while having the freedom to discover poems with which they feel a connection. As students participate in Poetry Out Loud, not only do they develop a deeper appreciation for poetry, they also improve their analytical skills while building self-confidence and public speaking skills.

More than four million students have participated in Poetry Out Loud since 2005, many advancing from classroom competitions to school competitions to state competitions and ultimately to the national finals where students compete for the grand prize of $20,000. Non-school organizations, such as after-school clubs, libraries, or nonprofit organizations, may also host Poetry Out Loud and have students advance to state competitions. In total, Poetry Out Loud will award more than $100,000 to state- and national-level winners and their schools in 2022.

Visit PoetryOutLoud.org to learn more about this national program, and to access free materials, including guidelines on how to hold competitions in-person or virtually.

To participate in the official 2021-2022 program or ask any questions about hosting a competition, contact Tennessee POL Coordinator Michelle Sipes at michelle.sipes@tn.gov or reach out by submitting this form: https://tnartseducation.org/programs/poetry-out-loud/pol-interest-form/.

For a list of key Tennessee POL program dates, please visit https://tnartseducation.org/programs/poetry-out-loud/.

We hope you will help us grow this national competition and bring the power of poetry to even more students in the coming year.