For 20 years, the Arkansas Arts Council has partnered with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation to encourage students to learn great poetry and develop real-world skills. Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a free, high school program that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation.
The program helps students build self-confidence, develop public-speaking skills, learn literary history, and compete for more than $20,000 at the national level.
In March 2024, 10 Arkansas schools competed in the state championship. Images from the event are available, courtesy of Arkansas Tourism, upon request. Images are also available via the Arkansas Arts Council’s social media platforms. See photos from the 2024 Arkansas Poetry Out Loud competition at www.poetryoutloud.org.
You can find more detailed information on how to organize a POL contest for your school at www.poetryoutloud.org.
Homeschools and organizations with interested high school students (9th-12th) may enter to compete.
For information, please contact the arts in education program manager at matt.boyce@arkansas.gov.
