Schools and Organizations Invited to Host Their Own Poetry Out Loud Competition

Statewide (September 9, 2024) – The 2024-2025 school year marks the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud®, an arts education program and dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students that lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Poetry Foundation, and state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud takes place in all 50 states, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In addition to $50,000 in prizes and stipends awarded annually to competitors and their home communities—including a $20,000 prize for the National Champion—Poetry Out Loud provides free poetry education resources nationally, including lesson plans and other educational materials for teachers and organizers, tips on reciting, and an online anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems.

Schools and organizations are encouraged to contact Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud state coordinator Dr. Traci Currie (Traci.Currie@delaware.gov) to get involved in this year’s competition. Registration is now open and will close October 20, 2024. Delaware’s state finals will occur on February 20, 2025 at the Smyrna Opera House.

20 Years of Impact

In 2004, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts began developing and piloting a first-of-its-kind national poetry recitation program for high school students; Poetry Out Loud launched at the start of the following school year in 2005. Since then, the program has reached more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools across the nation.

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Poetry Out Loud, we honor the program’s lasting impact on students. Through the power of words and performance, young people are developing public speaking skills and self-confidence, the ability to connect with peers and leaders, and an appreciation for diverse perspectives and interpretations of the world around us. These are skills that will serve them well in any career or endeavor they may choose to pursue,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We extend our gratitude to our partners at the Poetry Foundation and the stewards of this program—the students, educators, parents, and our state coordinators—and look forward to working together through many more years of Poetry Out Loud.”

A study completed in 2020 found that participation in Poetry Out Loud can help schools become more vibrant learning spaces and support students in their academic, literary, and social-emotional development.

“I want to underscore how special Poetry Out Loud is as a platform for expression and learning for our nation’s youth,” said Michelle T. Boone, Poetry Foundation president and CEO. “Participants go beyond developing an appreciation for poetry—they discover how it can be a powerful tool for building compassion and empathy, self-reflection, and finding meaning in the world. Each time I attend a recitation, I learn more about what is important to this generation and come away with a new understanding of familiar poems as presented through their voices. I eagerly look forward to another 20 years of Poetry Out Loud.”

“For two decades, Poetry Out Loud has been a transformative experience for Delaware’s youth, fostering a deep appreciation for the spoken word while nurturing essential life skills like public speaking, creativity, and confidence,” said Jessica Ball, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “Our state finalists represent the immense talent, passion, and cultural diversity within our schools, and their recitations bring poetry to life in ways that inspire us all. As we celebrate 20 years of this remarkable program, we are proud to continue supporting students as they explore and share their voices through the power of poetry.”

Since 2006, seventeen students have claimed the title of Delaware’s state finalist, with three of those seventeen winning the competition twice in a row.  A comprehensive list of winners is below:

2024     Maiss Hussein, Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

2023     Maiss Hussein, Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

2022     Natalie Kim Ramos, St. Mark’s High School

2021     Rebecca Wisniewski, Milford High School

2020     Camille Decker, Sanford School

2019     Chelsea Anoyke-Agyei, Hodgson Vo-Tech High School

2018     Samuel McGarvey, Tall Oaks Classical School

2017     Cecilia Ergueta, Wilmington Friends School

2016     Hannah Sturgis, Polytech High School

2015     Hannah Sturgis, Polytech High School

2014     Kathleen Becker, Red Lion Academy

2013     Jordan McMillan, Sanford School

2012     Elizabeth Landon, Wilmington Christian School

2011     Hannah Glavin, Wilmington Christian School

2010     Alex Cumminsky, Middletown High School

2009     Tonisha Jones, Middletown High School

2008     Tonisha Jones, Middletown High School

2007     Daniel Foster, Delmar High School

2006     Simone Seal, Padua Academy

How to Participate

Poetry Out Loud starts at the local level in a Delaware classrooms, schools, or area organizations. Students memorize and recite poems they select from the Poetry Out Loud anthology of classic and contemporary poems. Winners then advance to the Delaware state finals, with one selection ultimately competing in the National Finals in Washington, D.C..

To register for the 2024-2025 program, schools and organizations should contact Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud coordinator Dr. Traci Currie (Traci.Currie@delaware.gov). Students from all types of high schools are welcome to participate, including public, private, parochial, independent, charter, and homeschool. Non-school organizations, such as after school clubs, libraries, or nonprofit organizations, may choose to run Poetry Out Loud as well. Students unable to participate at their school or a local organization should contact their state Poetry Out Loud coordinator to discuss other opportunities for inclusion in their state’s official competition.

The 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Finals will take place May 5-7, 2025, in Washington, DC. A total of $50,000 in awards and school or organizational stipends will be awarded, including $20,000 for the National Champion, and $10,000 and $5,000 for the second- and third-place finalists. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded for Poetry Out Loud. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals are administered by Mid Atlantic Arts.

Join the 20th anniversary celebration on X (Twitter) and Instagram using #POL2025, #POL20Years, and #IAmPoetryOutLoud and follow the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation at @PoetryOutLoud, @NEAArts, and @PoetryFound.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. Visit Arts.gov to learn more.

About the Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation recognizes the power of words to transform lives. The Foundation works to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry. Follow the Poetry Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and Poetry magazine on Twitter.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts

The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.