Poetry Out Loud is a competition that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. After successful pilot programs in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, POL was launched in high schools nationwide in the spring of 2006 with tens of thousands of students participating. POL has grown every year with over 365,000 students competing.

Students competing in the District 3 POL program were eligible to compete in the national/anthology portion of the program, the original poetry portion, or both. The Alabama State Council on the Arts sponsored the original poetry competition. Traveling to Montgomery, Ala. in 2019, the winners in both the anthology and original poetry portions will compete in the state-wide competition. Winners in the national/anthology portion will then have the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. for a final round.

Sponsors include the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, Alabama State Council on the Arts and The Arts Council of Tuscaloosa.

2018-2019 Dates

GRADES: High School
TUSCALOOSA DATES:

• In School Competitions: by October 15, 2018
• Student Entry forms due: October 22
• Finding Your Voice Workshop: October 30 at Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center
• Regional Competition: November 15 at DWCAC
• Student Entry Forms from Regional Winners for State Competition: December 14
• Intensive Coaching for Regional Winners: January 24, 2019 at DWCAC
• State Competition: February 18, 2019 in Montgomery

Poetry Out Loud is a program made possible by a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.